Safe behavior of children on the ice. Safety precautions and rules of conduct on ice in winter. We got to the shore: what's next

Winter fishing for many winterers is not just a hobby, but a life credo. Many actions of seasoned anglers are automated, including walking on ice, avoiding dangerous areas and behavior on the ice surface. However, year after year, accidents still occur, and some are fatal. The rules of behavior on the ice are the same for all people, no matter if they are anglers or just out for a walk. Safety on the ice is not just about failing. In addition to falling through, there are other hazards in ice fishing.

Safe winter fishing - what you should always remember

Safety rules on the ice in time are not taken from the head just like that - they are written on the grief and misfortunes of people who have already found themselves in dangerous situations or did not survive. Water safety in winter is a complex concept. Low ice strength is not the only dangerous factor. Ice safety should be “contained” in the subcortex of every winter angler. The rules of safe behavior on the ice at one fine moment will not only help to solve a difficult situation, but will allow you to survive in an emergency. In winter, the rules of behavior on ice will help to avoid the following troubles:

  1. Falling through, which can lead to both banal wetting and a cold, and death.
  2. Burning to death in a winter tent from the combustion products of the stove.
  3. Hypothermia, freezing.
  4. Fall on slippery surfaces, bruises.
  5. The possibility of getting lost (in bad weather, on large bodies of water or in a state of alcohol intoxication), at best - to lose time, at worst - to freeze.

falling through

Safe behavior on the ice in winter is not only the correct movement on the solid surface of the reservoir. Danger may come from outside. But let's start the review with the most obvious danger - cold water under the ice. You can both drown in it and get fatal hypothermia. When can I go out on the ice for winter fishing?

The safe ice thickness for fishing is generally 7-10 cm. As you know, anglers manage to walk on the ice almost immediately after it has risen, and has not grown more than 5 cm. Such movement on the ice can be dangerous. There is a caveat among experienced anglers - you can’t go out if the ice breaks through with a pick with one average force of impact. Naturally, the Ministry of Emergency Situations tightens such indicators. A person of small mass can carefully walk along a 3-cm strong cover, while the surface will sag under the weight and crackle. In this matter, it is better not to tempt fate and wait for normal thickness. In addition to thickness, an important factor is strength. The strength of ice can be determined by a number of features. Usually fresh, transparent ice of the first ice is strong, and melting in spring is weak. Safe ice thickness for fishing (per person weighing 100 kg) is 7-10 cm or more. Even in such favorable conditions, safety requirements must be observed. If the layer is thinner - then even more so. What kind of ice is completely safe for fishing?

Safe ice

Safe ice

What kind of ice can you go fishing on? The officially permissible ice thickness for a group of people to move on it must be at least 10 cm when fishing. This is drawn on safety posters. The minimum ice thickness for fishing is 3-5 cm, depending on the reservoir, at your own peril and risk. You need to walk on this very carefully, according to all the rules (more on that below). Going to depths over 1.5 meters and far from the coast is not recommended. 10 cm can withstand a person weighing 100 kg and allow the movement of a group of people.

Ice thickness table for safe movement:

At what temperature does ice form on a pond?

The process of growth of the shell on water bodies with the course, large reservoirs, lakes with springs is much slower. The ice shell binds fast rivers and deep lakes last. The picture is only approximate data applicable, for example, to a small closed pond.

The durable surface is usually transparent, with a bluish or greenish tint. Turbidity, bubbles, yellowness are signs of a fragile ice shell. A good layer freezes in quiet frosty weather. The freezing layer can be covered with snow, which sticks together with water into a single white mass. Such a surface is fragile and fragile.

Safety on poor ice cover

Anglers are looking forward to the moment of formation of the first ice. The most desperate take to the ice as soon as it becomes, neglecting safety requirements. The first ice is dangerous, first of all, because of its small thickness. The official code of conduct for thin ice one thing - do not go to him. When you get into such conditions, you must strictly follow all the recommendations of safety and behavior.

It is impossible to determine the thickness of the ice by color from the first ice - it is thin and transparent. If it breaks through with a single blow, it is better not to move far from the coast, but to sit next to the coastal bushes. At depth, the ice strengthens later, so going to the middle of the reservoir is dangerous. Safety on a thin ice cover is the first priority for an angler who enters a reservoir in such conditions. Every second you need to be internally ready to go under water, and react confidently and quickly. The state of the ice layer in different reservoirs can vary due to many factors - the strength of the current, wind, water composition, and the presence of springs. Therefore, a good cover over there on that pond is not a reason to go to a large reservoir, where waves were walking yesterday.

A sign of the strength of ice and its safety is transparency, the absence of cracks and bubbles, crackling and punching when walking. On a thin cover, each step should be preceded by a test blow with an ice pick or a stick. It is absolutely impossible to test strength by stamping your foot and bouncing! A backpack and a box are hung on one shoulder so that they can be thrown off when falling through.

How to move on thin ice if it began to crack and bend? First of all, stop and look around. If the deflection occurs right before your eyes, you need to immediately lie down, as softly and smoothly as possible, without hitting the surface with weight. Then you need to crawl back in your footsteps. If everything is not so fatal - you just need to go back in your footsteps with smooth sliding steps, without taking your legs off. In general, it is better to stick to the beaten paths and always walk along them. Potentially dangerous places:

  • The middle of the reservoir, great depths, channel flow.
  • The junction of the forward and reverse flows.
  • Mouths of rivers and streams.
  • Directly on the coast.
  • In the thickets of reeds.
  • Near objects frozen in water.
  • Places for draining sewerage and waste.
  • Narrow channels flowing, rapids between islands.
  • At the edges and gullies.
  • Water areas with frequent changes in water level and navigation. Such a place can play a cruel joke - the fisherman will simply be cut off from the exit by a passing vessel, torn off on an ice floe from the main massif and carried into the sea.
  • Swamps and bogs are the most dangerous places. The escaping warm gas can make the outwardly normal and hard cover weak and thin.

Avoid first ice covered with snow - it may just be crust, and under it - a ravine. It is not necessary in a group to come close to each other, to gather together. You need to move in single file, no closer than 5-7 meters from each other. Each person should have a special lifeline on a rope, fastened conveniently on the chest for quick use. It is desirable to have a rope with a load so that you can quickly throw it to the failed. It is impossible to drill many holes at once - such perforation will weaken an already unreliable surface.

Loose spring ice is also dangerous. It is visually difficult to assess the state of ice in spring, usually everything is covered with snow. The way out is to stick to the path, check untrodden places at every step, bypass dark, yellow areas, cracks and hummocks.

How to walk on a frozen body of water

Safety measures on ice imply certain rules and recommendations for being on it and moving. In addition to the danger of failure, on a slippery surface, you can simply fall and injure something, break bones or break your head. This is especially true for large older anglers. How to walk on ice without falling? The following safety precautions on the ice will help prevent injury:

  1. Wear shoes with non-slip soles or spikes.
  2. Do not make sudden movements, keep your balance and pay attention to every step.
  3. Do not shift weight quickly. First, the leg is placed, then the weight is transferred to it, smoothly and measuredly. The knees are bent, the torso is relaxed, ready to fall.
  4. In the event of a fall, it is important to group correctly, fall on your side, back or on the half-bent arms extended forward, extinguishing the speed with them. It is important to control the position of the head in order to protect it from impact. Fall safety is practiced as a physical exercise.

The very process of being on a winter pond is an event of increased danger. Usually all winter roads fulfill the requirements on an instinctive level. For beginners, it is useful to study the rules of safe behavior on ice:

  1. The well-trodden paths are the least dangerous sections, as it is clearly seen that a lot of people have passed along them.
  2. Do not test strength by jumping or kicking. You need to do this with a stick, pole or ice pick.
  3. If you notice crackling, fountains of water from cracks, sagging, yellowish color or wet spots on the snow, you should go around this place (or crawl back if you have already gone too far).
  4. You should not move in a crowd and chaotically, close to each other. The best option is in single file at a distance of at least 5 meters.
  5. When skiing, the bindings must be unfastened so that they can be thrown off when falling through.
  6. The backpack and all belongings are worn on one shoulder or with relaxed straps, for the ability to quickly get rid of the load - important condition movement safety.
  7. It is strongly not recommended to go to the pond without special lifeguards, spikes with handles. These safety devices should be located on the chest so that they can be used quickly in an emergency. In the first ice or spring it is better to go fishing in a special waterproof float suit. It will protect against hypothermia and drowning when falling through. If there is no float, then you need to wear at least a life jacket.
  8. The presence of someone in the group of a rope 10-20 meters long with a cat or a load at the end.
  9. If it is necessary to overcome a potentially dangerous area, do not do this alone - only with a second person, with a rope or pole for safety. Naturally, with a group movement, such a place is overcome in turn.
  10. You can not fish or walk near the edges, gullies and polynyas, cracks, hummocks and failures.

How to get out if you fell through the ice

If you fall through the ice, the main thing is not to lose your temper and not to panic. It is panic and wrong actions that are the main reasons deaths. In 99% of cases, you can get out, even if you have big weight and poor physical condition. A person under the ice will receive hypothermia in a few minutes, as a result of which mobility will decrease, and he will no longer be able to get out on his own. Therefore, you need to act quickly - 3 minutes. It is important to follow certain rules of behavior for a person who has fallen through the ice. These ice rescue rules have been worked out by many cases on water bodies. The probability of a successful outcome and safety is also affected by the availability of rescue equipment on ice - lifeguards, ropes, poles, and a belayer. Modern society is such that in case of failure, they can film you on the phone and give advice, but they themselves will not climb. You need to rely only on yourself. If they help, of course it’s good, it will facilitate the process.

How to help a person who has fallen into the water

The rescue of a failed person is based on the above safety principles. The main thing is not to get into the water of the lifeguard himself. First, notify the drowning person that help is coming to him. Encourage him, make him calm down and stop panicking, twitching and wasting energy in vain. If there is a long rope, then it must be thrown from a safe distance to a person. But often there is no rope with you. The longest item is a drill and ropes from drag sleds. You can use them by linking them together. You can only get to the place of the break while lying down, it is better to take a lifeguard or a knife with you. During the process, constantly communicate with the victim, instruct him. When he grabs the drill (rope), pull it out, having previously secured it with a knife, spikes or lifeguards to the surface. To facilitate the process, the victim needs to throw a vest, lifejackets, etc. into the water. - what is possible.

Hypothermia safety

Further, first aid on ice (for yourself or the victim) does not end. The main danger is hypothermia, hypothermia. It is necessary to immediately remove the outer clothing and wring it out. You need to stand with bare feet not on the snow, but, for example, in a sled. If there is no shift, then put on, first of all, woolen products or high-quality thermal underwear. These items are warm even when wet. You have to keep moving. First aid to someone who has fallen through the ice can save his life. And if it's -30 outside and there are several kilometers to a warm shelter (car)? If you have a hot drink, drink it. Alcohol should not be consumed (only after the final warming and changing clothes). With good dry pure snow you can rub it (people with a normal level of hardening and physical form). With hypothermia, the chills begin to stop, the pulse slows down, arterial pressure falls. This happens when the body temperature drops to 30 degrees. After that, freezing begins, which can lead to death. Far from the car - run run. The main thing is not to stop.

Fire safety measures in winter fishing tent

Every year this sad statistic is replenished with new cases. Guilt is personal carelessness. You can not stay in a cheap non-breathing tent with a stove or gas burner with the door closed. It is always important to think over the removal of the combustion products of the stove to the outside through the chimney when spending the night in a tent. Even from candles in a tightly closed cheap Chinese tent, after a while your head starts to hurt - the first sign of a lack of oxygen and carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide poisoning. The basic rules of behavior on ice in winter do not address this issue, but in vain. Deaths are repeated among night fishermen year after year. A person just falls asleep and does not wake up. If you have any doubts about the security in a nearby tent, it is better to take a look. Maybe it will save someone's life.

Behavior and safety in case of loss of orientation on the ground

On large bodies of water, distant objects on the shore act as landmarks. When a snowfall and a blizzard begins, they are not visible, the traces are covered. Therefore, it is important not to lose the sense of space and security. It is good if there is a compass or a navigator. When there are no means of navigation with you, you need to go so as not to freeze, drink hot, eat. You can’t fall into a snowdrift and fall asleep - this will only lead to freezing. Therefore, it is better to take care of geography in advance, before leaving, ensuring your safety.

Behavior rules.

Every year, thin ice causes deaths, most often among the dead are children who walk near frozen water bodies without parental supervision, and fishermen who go out at their own risk on fragile and treacherous ice. Many amateur fishermen, having fallen through the ice once, go again and again, hoping for a chance ... and another luck, however, such self-confidence only leads to an irreparable tragedy.

Accidents can be avoided if you follow the rules and personal safety measures. One of the most common causes of tragedies on reservoirs is the irresponsible behavior of people in a state of intoxication. People become helpless, their sense of self-preservation is blunted, reactions slow down, and they cannot adequately respond to an emergency.

To avoid trouble on thin ice, you need to know:

The main condition for the safe stay of a person on the ice is the compliance of the ice thickness with the applied load:

Safe ice thickness for one person is at least 7 cm;

Safe ice thickness for the construction of a skating rink is 12 cm or more;

Safe ice thickness for crossing on foot is 15 cm or more;

The safe ice thickness for the passage of vehicles is at least 30 cm.

The safe time for a person to stay in the water:

At a water temperature of +24°C, the safe stay time is 7-9 hours,

At a water temperature of +5 - +15°С - from 3.5 hours to 4.5 hours;

Water temperature +2 - +3°C is fatal for humans after 10-15 minutes;

At a water temperature of -2 ° C - death can occur in 5-8 minutes.

Ice Criteria:

lasting:

Transparent ice with a greenish or bluish tint;

Ice is always thicker in open snowless space.

thin:

The color of the ice is milky cloudy, gray ice, usually spongy and porous, such ice collapses without a warning crackle;

Ice covered with snow (snow falling on newly formed ice, in addition to masking polynyas, slows down the growth of ice cover);

The ice is thinner in currents, especially in fast ones, in places that are deep and open to the wind; over a shady and peaty bottom; on marshy shores; at the exit points of underwater keys; under bridges; in narrow channels; near places of discharge of warm and hot waters of industrial and municipal enterprises into reservoirs;

In places where reeds, reeds and other aquatic plants grow.

Rules of conduct on ice:

* You can not go out on the ice at night and when poor visibility(fog, snowfall, rain).

* When crossing the river, you should use equipped ice crossings.

* In the event of a forced crossing of a body of water, it is safest to stick to beaten paths or walk along an already laid track. But if they are not there, before going down to the ice, it is necessary to look around very carefully and outline the upcoming route.

* You can not test the strength of the ice with a kick. If after the first hard hit even a little water will seem like a ski pole - this means that the ice is thin, you can’t walk on it. In this case, you should immediately retreat along your own trail to the shore, with gliding steps, without taking your feet off the ice and spreading them shoulder-width apart so that the load is distributed over a large area. The same is done with the warning crackling of ice and the formation of cracks in it.

* Once on thin, crackling ice, you should carefully turn back and with sliding steps return along the path to the shore.

* On a frozen pond, you must take with you a strong cord 20 - 25 meters long with a large blind loop at the end and a load. The load will help to throw the cord to a comrade who has fallen into the water, the loop is needed so that the victim can hold on more securely by passing it under the armpits.

* When crossing a reservoir in a group, it is necessary to keep a distance from each other (5–6 m).

* It is better to cross a frozen river (lake) on skis, while the ski bindings must be unfastened in order to quickly reset them if necessary; keep ski poles in your hands, without throwing loops on your hands, so that in case of danger you can immediately discard them.

* You need to be especially careful in places covered with a thick layer of snow, in places of rapid flow and spring outlets, near bushes, sedges, grass protruding above the surface, in places where streams flow into water bodies, and industrial enterprises discharge water.

* If you have a backpack, hang it over one shoulder, which will allow you to easily get rid of the load in case the ice falls through.

* At fishing on ice it is not recommended to make holes at a distance of 5-6 meters from one another. To avoid trouble, the fisherman must have a life jacket or bib, as well as a rope - 15-20 m long with a loop at one end and a load of 400-500 g at the other.

* You need to know that a person who has fallen into ice water can become stiff in 10-15 minutes, and after 20 minutes lose consciousness. Therefore, the life of the victim depends on the intelligence and speed of the rescuers.

* IT IS FORBIDDEN: to go on the ice while intoxicated, to jump and run on the ice, to gather big amount people at one point, go out onto the thin ice that has formed on fast-flowing rivers.

What to do if you fall through the ice?

Do not panic, do not make sudden movements, stabilize breathing;

Spread your arms wide to the sides and try to cling to the edge of the ice so as not to sink headlong;

If possible, move to that edge of the polynya, where the current will not carry you under the ice;

Try to carefully, without breaking off the edge, without sudden movements, crawling with your chest, lie down on the edge of the ice, throw one and then the other leg on it. If the ice has held, slowly roll away from the edge and crawl towards the shore;

You need to move in the direction from which you came, because there the ice has already been tested for strength.

Departure to the ice crossing

To avoid accidents when driving through ice crossings, strictly follow the requirements of all information signs installed in front of ice crossings.

Drive onto the ice slowly, without pushing or braking. Unfasten your seat belts.

On the ice crossing it is forbidden to stop, move jerkily, turn around, overtake cars and refuel them.

Do not allow loads that exceed the ice's carrying capacity.

moving Vehicle in case of poor visibility (fog or blizzard) it is not recommended to carry out.

If, however, your car was in the water, then you must:

Leave the car immediately, while it is afloat, through the side windows; it is advisable not to open the doors, as the car will sink faster;

If the car goes under water, before leaving the car, take a few deep breaths and get out of the car; if possible, get rid of “heavy” clothes (shoes, coats, jackets);

First of all, you need to save children, in this case, press the child with his back to you, close his nose and mouth with your fingers, and float up.

How to give first aid to the victim

Arm yourself with any long stick, board, pole or rope. You can knit together scarves, belts or clothes.

Crawl to the polynya very carefully, spreading your arms wide.

Tell the victim by shouting that you are going to help him, this will give him strength and confidence.

If you are not alone, then lie down on the ice and move one after another.

Place skis, plywood or a board under you to increase the area of ​​\u200b\u200bsupport and crawl on them.

For 3-4 meters, stretch the victim a pole, a board, throw a rope or a scarf or any other improvised means.

It is not safe to give a hand to the victim, because, approaching the hole, you will increase the load on the ice and not only will you not help, but you yourself are at risk of failing.

Carefully pull the victim onto the ice, and crawl out of the danger zone with him.

Take the victim to a warm (heated) room. Help him: remove and wring out all the clothes, if possible change into dry clothes and wrap with polyethylene (there will be a greenhouse effect).

Call an ambulance.

It seemed that the rules of safe behavior on the ice are known to everyone. Children are reminded of them annually at school, before the start of winter season warnings are published in the media. Run social ads with a reminder to be careful on the ice. However, even the measures taken are unable to negate situations in which people go under the ice. And it is not always possible to save the victims.

Troubles can be avoided by knowing the rules of behavior on ice and adhering to them if there is a need to cross a reservoir, go skating or just go fishing.

What should be the ice

The minimum thickness of ice that can support the weight of an adult should be at least 7 cm. For the construction of a skating rink and a pedestrian crossing, a stronger layer is needed - 12-15 cm, for a car to pass - from 30 cm. The strength of the coating can be determined by eye, provided lack of snow. So, the strongest ice has a bluish or greenish tint, and its surface is even, without air bubbles. Milky white, without pores and cracks, about two times inferior in strength to the first. Even if it is very strong, still follow the rules of behavior on the ice.

The most "treacherous" ice

Ice is considered the least durable, the shade of which is yellowish or dull white. It is often porous and very unreliable. In addition, if the air temperature is above 0 degrees for several days, then the strength of the coating decreases by about 25%.

You should also remember: the rules of safe behavior on ice in winter also warn that the thinnest coating is formed near the coast, near trees, reeds, bushes, springs. Ice-holes and polynyas represent a separate danger - crushed by snow, they are almost invisible.

Where are the best places to go down to the water or approach the shore?

The choice of the place of descent or ascent should be treated no less carefully than the transition through the reservoir. It is advisable to go out on the ice in places not covered with snow. So you not only see the color and thickness of the coating, but also do not fall into an ice hole that is inconspicuous at first glance.

Checking the strength of ice

To find out if the ice will support your weight, you need to carefully step on it. If small radial cracks form, and the coating slightly crackles, then it is already possible to walk on such ice, but extreme caution should be exercised. You should not check the strength with a kick, it is better to use a log or a ski pole for this purpose. If water comes out after a strong blow, then it is better to refuse the crossing in this place. The rules of conduct on thin ice in this case advise you to return to the shore, following in your own footsteps. Steps should be gliding, without breaking away from the ice. Feet should be kept shoulder-width apart, which helps distribute the load over a large area. If the ice is very thin and cracks underfoot, it is advisable to crawl.

Basic rules of behavior on the ice: memo

  • If possible, use official crossings and do not cross the body of water in places where it is prohibited.
  • If there are no beaten paths or ski tracks, then before going out on the ice, you must definitely outline the future route and then try to stick to it.
  • You can not go out on ice that is not strong enough and / or has not yet had time to completely freeze. Moreover, you can’t slide down onto thin ice on sleds, skates, ice skates, skis.
  • It is forbidden to go out on the ice at night, and also if visibility is difficult (snowfall, rain, fog). During heavy rainfall or at night, you simply cannot see what is under your feet and correctly assess the situation.
  • It is not allowed to gather in a group of several people on the same ice area. In the event that you cross in a group, it is worth dispersing and following each other along the tracks at a distance of several meters.
  • It is optimal to cross a frozen pond on skis, while the fastening of the latter should be unfastened, and the loops from the sticks are not fixed on the hands. This precaution will allow you to quickly get rid of the skis in the event of a sudden danger.
  • The backpack during the transition should be kept on one shoulder so that it can be quickly thrown aside.
  • It is advisable to have a strong rope with a length of about 25 meters, at one end of which it is necessary to make a blind loop and secure the load. This will help in helping a person who has gone under the ice.
  • Rules of conduct on the ice in winter also recommend not to cross the pond while intoxicated. The state of alcoholic intoxication is simply unacceptable. Being drunk, a person does not behave carefully, and his sense of self-preservation is dulled. This can lead to disaster.

Should I let my child go ice skating?

Winter time is a real holiday for children who love sledding, skating, ice-skating, and simply obsessed with curiosity and want to walk along a frozen river or lake. However, parents should not forget about safety and it is better not to let children go unattended to the pond. In addition, it is important to know the rules of behavior for children on the ice, which by and large are no different from the basic ones. Nevertheless, it is recommended to take into account the fact that children are more mobile and less attentive, they may not notice dangerous areas in the game.

It is necessary that the child not only follows the rules of safe behavior on the ice, but also knows how to act if he or his friend goes under water. The algorithm of actions should be approximately the following:

  • do not panic and call for help, while keeping your head high above the surface of the water;
  • get rid of outerwear and wet shoes as soon as possible;
  • if possible, do not break off the edge of the ice, leaning on it with your chest;
  • climb out onto the ice slowly, without sudden movements, crawling.

We provide assistance

The rules of behavior on the ice in winter include the provision of assistance to the victim. IN this case you should also be extremely careful not to keep the company gone under water. So, you should crawl to the victim in a plastunsky way, having previously reported that you are going to help. You can not approach the edge of the polynya and stretch out your hand. In this case, the ice edge, most likely, will not withstand, and you yourself will fall through. It is better to use a rope, a scarf, a board, a stick - in a word, any means at hand. And only then carefully pull the person out without sudden movements. It is forbidden to stand up - crawl or roll.

First aid to the victim is to warm him up, change into dry clothes, give him a hot drink and sugar. You can not rub the body and use alcohol to warm.

As you can see, the rules of behavior on ice are easy enough to remember and apply if necessary, knowing that this can save both health and life. Unfortunately, many people neglect them. Especially "brave" people drunk. If you are in company with them, in no case do not give in to persuasion to go on the ice. Try to convince such a person, offer some alternative. For example, an activity that will distract him from a crazy idea. And yet remember that the rules of behavior on the ice can save your life, do not neglect them.

As soon as winter sets in, most children, and even some adults, look forward to the ice freezing on the reservoirs. This, of course, is a good opportunity to go ice skating, go ice fishing, but do not forget about safety on the ice during this period. We will get acquainted with the main rules in our article.

Ice formation

With the onset of frosty weather, you should not count on an instant covering of water bodies with ice. This process is lengthy and depends on many factors. It usually begins in November and continues until the New Year. It all depends on weather conditions which are different every year.

At low temperatures at night, ice forms, but under the rays of the sun during the day, it begins to become porous from the water that seeps through it. At the same time, the thickness may already be decent, but it cannot be called reliable, so it is important to observe safety measures on ice.

Usually, the freezing of reservoirs occurs unequally over the entire area, first of all, freezing begins in shallow water, along the banks, and then the ice fetters the middle. In various reservoirs, this process proceeds with different speed, for example, on rivers, ice forms more slowly, since this process is hindered by the current. Even on the same reservoir in its different parts, the ice can be of unequal thickness.

Saving life on ice

Almost every year there are situations when the most impatient lovers of ice fishing or ice skating find themselves in a dangerous position, finding themselves in icy water. And all because the thickness of the ice is not taken into account.

Such amateurs first of all need to study the safety measures on the ice in the winter, and only then go to the reservoir. The most important rule: if you are not sure about the strength of the ice, do not step on it. Sometimes a person begins to understand his mistake, having already found himself on thin ice, in this case, one should try to carefully return in his footsteps.

The snow that lies on top makes it difficult to assess the strength of the ice. Moving, you may not see that the cracks have gone, but it’s impossible not to hear the crunch, so when it appears, you should stop moving and go back.

Safe ice

No safety technique will help on ice if it is not thick enough. The ice cover must withstand the load that will act on it.


Even if you are sure that the reservoir is well frozen, safety measures on the ice in the winter will not be superfluous.

treacherous ice

Specialists even in appearance ice can determine its reliability. More dangerous, and, therefore, thin is considered yellowish or dull white ice. Most often, it has a porous structure, so it cannot be considered reliable.

You need to know: if the temperature does not drop below zero degrees for several days, the strength is reduced by 25%. Most thin ice it happens even in frosty weather near thickets of reeds, shrubs or trees that grow along the banks.

Particular care must be taken near the ice holes - they can become completely invisible if they are covered with a little snow.

How to make sure the ice is reliable

Finding out whether the ice is strong or not is sometimes possible only by stepping on it. If, after a few steps, small radial cracks are visible and a slight crunch is heard, then in principle you can walk on it, but observe the safety of behavior on ice.

Testing the strength of the ice by jumping on it or stamping your feet is not prudent at all. If, after checking, water protruding from above the ice is found, it is better not to cross in this place. Safety on thin ice must be paramount. You can never predict where you can fall into the icy water.

It is better to go back to prevent an accident, carefully stepping in your own footsteps and not raising your legs high. In the event of a strong crackling, it is better to crawl.

Rules of conduct on ice

In winter, it is imperative to observe safety on the ice. To do this, you must adhere to the following rules:

Sometimes the desire to skate on the newly formed ice, to play hockey is stronger than the feeling of danger, which is why unforeseen situations happen. Safety on the ice is especially important for children who look forward to winter.

for children

Most children look forward to the winter with great impatience to ride on sleds, skates, play hockey, so very often kids neglect all safety rules. Parents have a great responsibility for the health and preservation of the life of the child, so they are obliged to tell their children about safety on the ice in the winter.


On ice, it is studied at schools in the lessons of life safety, before each vacation, class teachers must conduct the appropriate briefing.

First aid on ice

Everyone can find themselves in ice water in winter, so you need to know how to help your friend. Here are the main recommendations:


It is very important that the comrades do not lose their heads in such a situation and, instead of running away in different directions, help their friend.

What to do if you fall through the ice

Often there are situations when a person goes alone to a frozen pond and a tragedy happens: under the fallen snow, an ice hole is not seen, and now the icy water opens its arms. What to do in this case? Here is the algorithm of actions:


Safety on the ice must always be in the first place, under no circumstances should one lose vigilance.

Got to the beach: what's next?

The most important thing after liberation from ice captivity is to warm up faster, so you need to get to a warm room as soon as possible. If you are far from home, you can take advantage of the hospitality of the residents of the neighboring village. If you are very far from settlements, you should always have a set of dry clothes in your backpack, which can save you in such a situation.

At the second stage, it is important to warm yourself from the inside, and in this case you cannot do without a hot drink, so you will have to go home as soon as possible, preferably by running.

Whatever the weather on a winter day, you should not take risks and go to the pond alone. It is especially dangerous to do this with the onset of the first spring days, when the ice begins to melt, becomes loose and fragile.

Behavior on water bodies in the autumn-winter period

To prevent on water bodies in winter and late autumn some rules of conduct must be followed. They are quite simple, but can save a human life:

  1. No need to rush with the appearance of the first ice cover to go to the reservoir.
  2. Ice becomes reliable only with the advent of stable low temperatures.
  3. It is quite dangerous to go down on the ice in unfamiliar places, especially in the thaw.
  4. It is better not to cross the reservoir in places with a large layer of snow, under it the thickness of the ice is always less than in the open.
  5. You should not risk your life by going on the ice at night, and even alone.
  6. Play sports winter Games better on specially equipped rinks to be sure of the reliability of the ice.
  7. It is dangerous to use ice for crossing during spring floods.

Compliance with these simple rules can save a life.

Quite often you can see fishermen who sit on the ice with a fishing rod, and around the thawed patches and polynya, especially in early spring and during thaws. The desire to catch a good fish makes you despise the dangers, but in vain. There are many cases when rescuers had to release unfortunate fishermen from ice captivity. And to prevent this from happening, all you need to do is follow some rules:


Only by following these simple rules can you be sure that winter fishing will end happily.

Winter is good! There is an opportunity to go in for winter sports, plenty of sledding and skating, but you should not neglect the safety rules, especially on frozen ponds. And it is important that not only the safety of children on the ice is ensured, but adults themselves do not forget about caution.

dangerous ice

With the beginning of the first frosts, the process of ice formation begins on water bodies. Reservoirs are covered with ice, which at first is still fragile and easily breaks under the feet of a person or the weight of equipment.

Autumn, porous ice, which is snow frozen during a snowstorm, is very dangerous. In no case should you step on the areas of such ice. It must be remembered that autumn ice is safe for one person with a thickness of at least 10 centimeters.

Ice safety rules

When crossing the ice, it is necessary to use equipped ice crossings or paved paths, and if they are not available, before moving on the ice, you should outline the route and make sure that the ice is strong with a stick. It is strictly forbidden to test the strength of the ice with kicks.

If the ice is weak, it is necessary to stop moving and return in your footsteps, taking the first steps without taking your feet off the ice surface.

If the surface of the ice is not covered with snow, you can see how small radial cracks form underfoot, diverging in all directions. At the same time, a soft crackle is heard, reminiscent of the cracking of a dried tree. You can walk on such ice only in the most extreme case, if ring cracks are added to the radial cracks, which means that its strength is at the limit, and it can break through at any moment.

Attention! If the ice cracked behind you and cracks appeared, do not be afraid and do not run away from danger! Lie down smoothly on the ice and roll to a safe place!

  • - While driving on ice, you should pay attention to its surface, avoid dangerous places and areas covered with a thick layer of snow. Particular care must be taken in places where there is a fast current, springs, bushes, grass come to the surface, streams flow into the reservoir and warm wastewater from industrial enterprises flows in, ice is harvested, etc.
  • - Ice with a greenish tint and a thickness of at least 7 centimeters is safe for pedestrians to cross.
  • - When crossing the ice, you must follow each other at a distance of 5 - 6 meters and be ready to provide immediate assistance to the one walking in front.
  • - Transportation of small-sized, but heavy loads is carried out on sleds or other devices with the largest possible area of ​​​​support on the ice surface.
  • - The use of skating rinks on water bodies is allowed only after a thorough check of the strength of the ice. The thickness of the ice must be at least 12 cm, and for mass skating - at least 25 centimeters.
  • - When crossing a reservoir on ice on skis, it is recommended to use a paved track, and if it is absent, before moving on virgin lands, you should unfasten the ski bindings and remove the loops ski poles from the hands. If you have a backpack or satchel, you need to take them on one shoulder.
  • - The distance between skiers should be 5-6 meters. While moving on the ice, the first skier checks the strength of the ice with sticks and follows its character.

By the color (shade) of ice, you can determine its strength
The strongest is transparent ice with a bluish or greenish tint, without air bubbles, formed in frosty, windless and rainless weather.

Milky, white or matte in color, ice is twice as weak as transparent. It is formed as a result of freezing of snowflakes during heavy snowfall. Such ice can break without a warning crackle.

During a thaw, hoarfrost or rain, the ice becomes whiter and duller, sometimes it acquires a yellowish tint. Such ice is very unreliable. With a characteristic crack or subsidence of ice, it is better to immediately return back. In such cases, it is permissible to return only in your own footsteps, without taking your feet off the ice surface. This is the safest way.

You need to go out on the ice during daylight hours, you should step on it carefully, bypass all suspicious places.

Dangerous places on the ice that should be avoided

The thinnest and most dangerous ice is under snowdrifts, near steep shores, reed beds, at places where rivers and streams flow into outflows from lakes, near rocks of driftwood frozen into ice, fallen trees, boards and other debris, at the confluence of several streams, that is where the water is turbulent and therefore freezes much later than in places with a quiet, even flow.

In cold weather, a polynya hidden under the snow can sometimes be recognized by its characteristic "floating". And a dark spot on a flat snow cover may mean that the ice is thinner in this place than around.

Ice is very fragile in places where industrial water flows into the river. A drain pipe rising above the shore, spots open water, steam, green vegetation against the background of snow, more abundant than in other places, thickets of reeds. It is better to stay away from such places, since the ice can be flooded by warm currents over a much larger area than can be seen.

You should go ashore and especially go down to the river in places not covered with snow. Otherwise, slipping and rolling on a slope, you can even end up in a visible ice hole, since it can be very difficult to slow down sliding on ice.

When choosing a path, never "plow virgin soil", do not look for new ways, go along the paths and paths that have been trodden before you.

Don't go out on the ice alone! Do not test the strength of the ice with your foot! Be attentive, careful and ready at any moment for danger!

If you fall through the ice

When breaking through the ice, you need to quickly get rid of the bags, lie on your stomach, spread your arms wide, and try to crawl out of the danger zone. You only need to move in the direction you came from!

If a person finds himself in the water, he must get rid of all heavy things and, holding on to the surface, try to crawl out onto strong ice. The easiest way to do this is to stick a penknife, a sharp key, etc. into the ice. Ideally, during the transition through winter reservoir you need to have a sharp object on hand.

You have to “get out” from a narrow hole, rolling from your stomach to your back and at the same time crawling out onto the ice. In a large polynya, it is necessary to climb onto the ice in the place where the fall occurred. In rivers with a strong current, you should try to avoid the bulk side (where the water leaves) so as not to be drawn under the ice. No matter how difficult it is to get out of the hole against the current, it should be done there or on the side. If the ice is weak, it must be broken until a solid area is encountered.

The most important thing when you fall through the ice is to remain calm and cool. Even a poorly swimming person can stay on the surface for some (sometimes quite a long time) due to the air cushion formed under the clothes. And only as the clothes get wet, a person loses additional buoyancy. This time is usually enough to get out of the hole.

At the same time, it should be remembered that the first minutes of being in cold water are the most productive, before clothes get wet, hands freeze, and weakness and indifference characteristic of hypothermia develop.

Don't panic!

Crawl onto the ice with arms wide apart. Keep trying again and again.

Helping a person who has fallen through the ice

To provide assistance to a person who has fallen through the ice should be only one, in extreme cases, two of his comrades. To accumulate on the edge of the polynya is not only useless, but also dangerous.

When rescued, act quickly, decisively, but with extreme caution. Loudly cheer the rescued. Feed the rescue object from a distance of 3-4 meters.

The person providing assistance should lie on his stomach, crawl to a break in the ice and give the victim the end of the rope, a long stick, a belt, knitted scarves, jackets, etc. In the absence of any means of salvation, it is permissible for several people to lie on the ice in a chain, holding each other by the legs, and so, crawling, moving towards the hole, help the victim.

In all cases, when approaching the edge of the polynya, one should try to cover as much of the ice as possible, spreading arms and legs to the sides and in no case create a point load, resting on it with elbows or knees.

When the rescuer acts alone (without rescue equipment), it is more expedient to approach a person who has fallen through the ice by crawling with their feet forward, sticking sharp objects into the surface of the ice. If you pull your hands towards the victim, then he can pull an unsupported lifeguard into the water for them. After the victim grabs his leg or the rope given to him, it is necessary, relying on improvised ice axes, to crawl away from the hole. If there is a long rope, it is better to tie it in advance to a tree standing on the shore and, having thus provided a guaranteed support, crawl to the polynya.

Help for a person who has fallen into the water must be provided very quickly, since even a 10-15-minute stay in ice water can be life-threatening.

A person pulled out of the water should immediately be changed into dry clothes and shoes, given something sweet and forced to move actively until he is completely warm.

Give the victim some of your clothing. Light a fire and warm the victim. Call rescuers or an ambulance

A man fell through the ice, you became an eyewitness:

  • - immediately shout to him that you are going to help;
  • - approach the polynya by crawling, spreading your arms wide;
  • - put skis, plywood or a board under you to increase the area of ​​\u200b\u200bsupport and crawl on them;
  • - you can’t crawl to the very edge of the polynya, otherwise you yourself will find yourself in the water;
  • - belts and a scarf, any board, skis, sleds will help you save a person;
  • - you need to throw connected objects 3-4 m before the victim;
  • - if you are not alone, then, taking each other by the legs, lie down on the ice in a chain and move towards the break;
  • - act decisively and quickly, the victim becomes stiff in ice water, wet clothes pull him down;
  • - giving the victim an improvised remedy, pull it out onto the ice and crawl away from the danger zone.

Rendering first medical care to the victim:

  • - remove and wring out all the clothes from the victim, then put them back on (if not dry) and wrap with polyethylene (there is a greenhouse effect);
  • - with general cooling of the victim, it is necessary to deliver as soon as possible to a warm (heated) room, cover it warmly, cover it with heating pads, give hot tea to drink, and then send it to a medical facility;
  • - if liquid enters the respiratory tract, the victim must clean the mouth, lay his stomach on his thigh so that his head hangs down to the ground, pressing vigorously on his chest and back, remove water from the stomach and lungs, start performing artificial respiration, rub the victim to warm him up.

A earnest request to parents: do not let children go on the ice without supervision, EXPLAIN THAT IT IS DANGEROUS.

ADULTS AND CHILDREN, OBSERVE THE RULES OF BEHAVIOR ON WATER OBJECTS, FOLLOWING ELEMENTARY SAFETY MEASURES IS A GUARANTEE OF YOUR SAFETY



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