Stay safe in icy weather this week
With temperatures dropping below freezing this week, the London Fire Brigade is appealing to the public to stay safe around frozen lakes and waterways.
Assistant Commissioner for Prevention and Protection, Charlie Pugsley, said: “Even if ice appears thick from the bank, it becomes thinner very quickly. Keep away from the edge of the open water, especially slippery banks.
“If you fall in, the temperature of icy water is cold enough to take your breath away, which can easily lead to panic and drowning.
“The coldness can make your arms and legs numb which means you can’t control them and can’t swim. It can lead to hypothermia – a serious reduction in your body temperature – which can cause heart failure. This happens even to the strongest swimmers.”
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, 50 per cent of ice-related drownings involve the attempted rescue of a dog.
It’s important to keep your dog on a lead near ice and frozen waters and do not throw sticks or balls onto the ice.
What to do if you fall through ice
- Keep calm and shout for help
- Spread your arms across the surface of the ice in front of you
- If you cannot climb out, keep as still as possible with your head clear of the water and wait for help to arrive
- If the ice is strong enough kick your legs to slide onto the ice
- Lie flat on the ice and pull yourself towards the bank
- Once out of the water roll away to prevent further cracks i.e flat and pull yourself towards the bank
- Seek medical attention immediately
What to do if someone else falls through the ice
- Don’t go on to the ice or into the frozen water if you see a person or animal getting into difficulty
- Stay on the bank, shout for help and phone 999
- Shout to the person to keep still, hold their head above water. Offer reassurance to keep them calm
- If the person is too far away to help them from the safety of the bank, do not attempt to rescue them
- Try to keep your eyes on the person at all times, especially in moving water
- Try to find something that will float to throw or push out to them
- Wait for the emergency services to arrive
(Picture: Pixabay)
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