By Matt Kelly

North Battleford Fire Department warning about thin ice

Mar 14, 2016 | 1:19 PM

Warm temperatures have left some ice on rivers, lake and ponds but the North Battleford Fire Department is warning the public about how thin the ice can be.

Bodies of water are still covered with a surface of ice, but the ice might not be strong enough to hold a person’s weight, resulting in the possibility of a person falling through into the water.

Deputy Fire Chief Kevin Steinborn said the ice may not be strong enough to hold a person’s weight, and it’s very hard to pull someone out of the water after they’ve fallen through the ice.

“Once you start to try to grab the ice to pull yourself to the surface, the ice will collapse in front of you and hypothermia is going to set in because the water is extremely cold. So the more you fight, the more tired you’re going to get and the chances of you reaching the shore is decreased.”

He said there are warning signs of thin ice, but it’s best not to chance it.

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“Sometimes it’ll be a discolouration in the ice. If you see bodies of melted water laying on top, just use caution,” Steinborn said. “I’d advise everybody just to stay off.”

The Fire Department is also advising people to stay away from runoff water in ditches and medians, as they don’t know what objects could be hidden under the water.

mkelly@jpbg.ca