Fire Chief Offers Safety Tips Before Venturing Onto The Ice

WESTCHESTER, NY — A matter of inches can be the difference between winter recreation and an all-too-common seasonal tragedy.

This is the time of year that local residents, and others from down county and New York City, are drawn to Northern Westchester’s natural resources for outdoor winter activities — maybe an ice-fishing excursion on the Muscoot Reservoir, or ice-skating and snowshoeing on the area’s ponds and lakes. But before you pack the fishing gear, lace up the skates or wax the hockey stick, you should heed the advice of a first responder who has seen too many recreational outings turn into emergencies.

"Always use caution while fishing on the frozen surface of a reservoir or recreating on the frozen surfaces of ponds and lakes because there could be an invisible danger lurking in the next step you take," Fire Chief Albert Melillo of the Golden’s Bridge Fire Department cautioned. "Even when below-freezing temperatures are consistent, it doesn’t automatically mean that the reservoir is safe for ice-fishing, or a pond is safe for ice-skating or walking across. Ice may form quickly when temperatures plummet, but it takes more time than you might think for ice, for example, to reach the minimum four-inch, new clear-ice thickness that certain experts and the New York State Department of Conservation (DEC) recommend for ice-fishing."

In years past, GBFD firefighters have been called on to rescue a group accidently set adrift on a chunk of ice floating towards deeper waters and tragically, in January of 2019, fire crews recovered the bodies of two fishermen who died after their boat overturned in the icy waters of the Muscoot Reservoir on New Year's Day.

The fire chief said that anyone planning recreational activities on outdoor frozen surfaces should first review the safety guidelines offered on town government and agency websites, such as the DEC and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), both of which operate and monitor water supply systems like the Muscoot Reservoir.

“Just as we train for structure fires, vehicle extrication, and other 9-1-1 calls, we train for ice emergencies with full gear and equipment, utilizing various rescue techniques so that we are prepared for all eventualities,” explained Melillo, who said the GBFD’s Ice Rescue Team was dispatched recently to a local lake where a dog, and possibly the owner, reportedly fell through the ice. Both were found safe in their home.

SEE ALSO: Ice Rescue Training Drills Put Golden's Bridge FD On Solid Ground

According to the DEC, said Melillo, new clear ice on still water should be a minimum of four inches thick for ice-fishing and other on-foot recreational activities. But conservation experts also caution that ice conditions cannot be judged solely by appearance or thickness. Although non-running waters tend to ice over more rapidly, ice doesn’t freeze uniformly, which means that thickness can be uneven – and, according to the DEC, ice could be thin and weak in certain locations, for example, where feeder streams enter (and exit) ponds and lakes. Clear ice over running water is about 20 percent weaker, while slush/gray/white ice is approximately 50 percent weaker. Conservationists say that many lakes and ponds also may contain spring holes and areas of currents that make thickness unpredictable and create dangerous thin spots.

Melillo said that before heading out onto the ice, considering the following precautions could save your life:

• Have a game plan that includes telling someone where you are going and when you expect to return.
• Don’t go alone – venture out with at least one other person so that if one of you gets into an emergency situation, the other can call 9-1-1.
• Make sure everyone on the outing has a fully charged cell phone.
• Familiarize yourself with your surroundings so that you could describe to the 9-1-1 dispatcher the point of entry and/or the name of a road.
• Wear a whistle or pocket air horn around your neck in case there is no cell service so that anyone who is nearby could hear your distress signal, and to help first responders determine your exact location. “If you fall through the ice, don’t panic. Call out for help and sound the whistle or air horn to attract attention,” Melillo said.
• Wear a life jacket – if you fall into the water, the life jacket should keep you at the surface and could provide insulation against the effects of the icy cold water. “In addition to your life jacket, the air trapped in your clothes can provide warmth and keep you afloat – so don’t shed any clothing. Medical experts say that it takes about 30 minutes for clinical hypothermia to set in,” Melillo said.
• Carry a set of ice picks and rope, which could help you survive – and possibly help in self-rescue – until first responders arrive. “While kicking your legs, use the ice picks to pull yourself upwards out of the water and onto the ice surface. But don’t stand once you’re out of the water; instead, lay on your stomach to distribute your weight evenly, then roll toward the shoreline in the direction you came from because the ice you previously walked on should be the safest,” Melillo explained.
• Minimize the potential of accidental and injurious falls by wearing ice cleats on your boots.
• Keep your pet on a leash and if your pet falls through the ice, call 9-1-1 rather than attempt a rescue and risk falling into the icy waters yourself.