Fishing without adventures: what the winter reservoir hides

Winter fishing is a favorite pastime for many. For its sake, people wake up in the middle of the night, sit for hours near their ice holes in severe frost, and are not afraid to go out on thin, unhardened ice.

Despite the unusually warm weather for mid-winter, winter fishing enthusiasts are eager to visit winter reservoirs. Considering the temperature fluctuations, it is important to remember that ice can hide dangers to life. Unfortunately, 18 people have become victims of winter reservoirs in the republic. Therefore, the Ministry of Emergency Situations urges citizens to be vigilant so as not to turn their leisure into a tragedy.

As soon as the weather allows winter fishing enthusiasts to return to their hobby, employees of the Glubokoye District Department for Emergency Situations conduct preventive raids on winter reservoirs to remind them of important ice safety rules. The raid participants drive along the reservoirs to remind citizens about safety. After all, as practice shows, as soon as ice appears on the river, lovers of "quiet hunting" are already there. And the main argument in the conversation is the weather.

"For the surface to gain sufficient strength, sub-zero temperatures must persist for at least several days. Everyone who goes out on the ice must have the necessary rescue equipment. These rules are outlined in the instructions of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the All-Russian Voluntary Society for the Rescue of People on Water (OSVOD)," explains Igor Protas, Senior Assistant to the Head of the Central Operations Department.

Members of the patrol group provide mandatory instructions to winter fishing enthusiasts on how to behave on the ice and what to do if they fall through.

"Equip yourselves properly for winter fishing: carry at least a minimal set of rescue equipment, such as a rope, a stick, a board, and definitely a life jacket. Do not allow children to go out on the ice. It is forbidden to go out on the ice during its freezing or thawing period, or to test the ice's strength by kicking it," adds an employee of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

It is not uncommon to end up in the water. No one enjoys unplanned underwater swimming, so it is important to know and follow simple rules of safe behavior.

During the patrol, rescuers provided examples of accidents where the passion for winter fishing outweighed common sense and led to tragedy.