During the wintertime, cold weather and seasonal snow storms can lead to ice and pose challenges for many Canadians, especially those who live near rivers, ponds, lakes and other bodies of water.
As one of the country's leading non-profit agencies, the Canadian Red Cross is dedicated to helping people learn more about the benefits of water safety throughout the year and guard against the dangers that ice and other elements can bring.
By learning more about how to stay safe on the ice, people can better protect themselves in the winter months while they're exploring the great outdoors with their families and friends.
Ice colour and thickness
For people who venture into the woods or other areas during the winter season, spotting a patch of ice is fairly common and usually not cause for alarm. However, the first aspect of staying safe near ice is taking heed of its locations. Individuals can also learn a great deal about ice just by observing it.
The colour of ice is a good indicator of its strength, with blue ice being the most resilient and opaque or white ice falling somewhere in the middle, generally about half as strong as clear blue variations of ice. The weakest form of ice has a grey shade and typically still shows traces of water.
In addition to ice's hue, the thickness of a sheet of ice can help determine its tenacity and is influenced by several factors, including currents, tides, changes in water levels or air temperatures, water depth, chemicals like salt and reverberations from vehicles or other things passing overhead.
Alone on ice
Emergencies can strike at any time, and for individuals who find themselves alone after falling through the ice, there are a few important things to keep in mind, even during this frightening experience.
Individuals should immediately:
• Call for help.
• Overcome the urge to climb out of the ice. This won't help, because the ice around the area is weak.
• Get into a floating position and use the air from a shirt or article of clothing to do so.
• Push your torso onto the broken ice using your legs to propel your body forward.
• Once back on the ice, roll or crawl away on your stomach, stretching your body out to distribute weight as evenly as possible
• Don't stand up on the ice - this can expose you to new risks
• Look for the shore and pay attention to your direction.
Support the Canadian Red Cross
The wintertime can blanket the country in a layer of snow and ice, which can create many risks for individuals. With the water safety programs offered by the Canadian Red Cross, people can gain the tools and knowledge needed to protect themselves during emergency situations.
You can show your support for the humanitarian work of the Canadian Red Cross by choosing to donate online or at your local Canadian Red Cross office today.