Fire officials warn against walking on thin ice

DELMARVA.- Before you decide to walk over to that pond in your backyard to play on the ice, you should think twice.

Ocean City fire chief, Richard Bowers said one step on, what may look like solid ice, could turn into a rescue effort.

“A cloudy surface, usually that’s of ice and that could be that it’s frozen and then unfrozen, so that’s not new ice,” chief Bowers said. “New ice is usually stronger, but when in doubt, don’t even go near it. That’s an absolute must, because you don’t know, and when you don’t know, that could lead to a tragedy.”

Walking on thin ice and falling into frigid water can instantly send your body into shock. In those situations, chief Bowers said every second counts.

“You probably have about 10 minutes and those first couple minutes are very, very important,” chief Bowers said. “It’s a shock to your system, and it’s easy to say, but one of the things that has to be indwelled in everybody is, don’t panic, because you’re using a lot of energy, and your body is going to go into shock because you’re in subzero or sub-freezing water.”

While the ice may entice you to play on or near it, Salisbury fire department assistant chief, Doug Parker said it’s best to avoid it, especially the little ones.

“Know where your children are, especially if you live near lakes or ponds,” assistant chief Parker said. “Especially still water; still water is going to freeze a lot faster than moving water.”