Ministry of Emergency Situations: walking on thin ice is dangerous!

MChS: It is dangerous to walk on thin ice!

March 22, 2023

Under the spring sun rays, the ice on water bodies becomes loose and fragile. However, every year people neglect safety precautions and walk on thin spring ice, thereby putting their lives in mortal danger.

According to specialists, ice at least 10 cm thick in fresh water and 15 cm thick in salt water is considered safe for humans. At the same time, it should be remembered that the strength of the ice is weakened at the mouths and tributaries of rivers, in areas of fast currents, springs, wastewater, areas of aquatic vegetation, trees, bushes, and reeds.

With a certain degree of probability, the strength of the ice can be determined visually: blue ice is quite strong, white ice is half as strong, gray, matte white, or yellowish ice is unreliable.

If an emergency occurs and a person falls into the water, under no circumstances should you panic or make sudden movements!

You should stabilize your breathing, spread your arms to the sides, and try to grab the edge of the ice, bringing your body into a horizontal position along the current. After that, you need to try to carefully lean your chest on the edge of the ice and throw one leg, and then the other, onto the ice. If the ice holds, you need to carefully crawl back to the shore. It is best to crawl in the direction from which the person came, as the ice there has already been tested for strength.

Those who witness such an incident are urged by the MChS not to remain indifferent and to try to help the person in distress. To do this, you need to arm yourself with any long stick, board, pole, or rope. You can tie together scarves, belts, or clothes. Then, crawling, spreading your arms and legs wide, pushing the rescue equipment in front of you, you need to carefully move towards the hole. You should not crawl to the edge: you need to stop a few meters away from the person in the water.

throw him a rope, the edge of clothing, hand him a stick or pole. Then you need to try to carefully pull the victim onto the ice, and then together crawl out of the danger zone, in the same direction from which you came.

The rescue is not over yet: the victim must be taken to a warm place. His clothes should be removed and he should be helped to vigorously rub his body (until the skin reddens). The victim should be given hot tea.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus warns citizens about the danger of going out on thin ice and asks them to refrain from doing so and to warn their children about the danger