Falling Through the Ice

[tonycc]

Here is an outstanding video with plenty of great advice should you find yourself in this situation.

http://www.exn.ca/video/?Video=exn20020325-icewater.asx

Tony

 

[Mark]

Wow - pretty powerful video. I learned a lot.

 

[twigeater]

interesting, thanks!

 

[Gremlin]

I can't get the link on my school computer. I noticed the '.ca'. Is it done by that crazy professor in Winnipeg who immerses himself in freezing point water with a thermometre up his rectum?

 

[spencer]

the video doesn't show any rectum-diving thermometers, but it does show said zany professor...

very cool video. useful and entertaining!

spencer

 

[Bolivia]

Ice picks

I hadn't heard about keeping your arms on the ice so they may freeze there if you can't get out of the water. Always learning something new.

Was surprised he didn't mention using thick handled ice picks to help get out. They can give you a grip on the surface of the ice to help you slither out of the hole and on to firm ice.

I made a pair of them and have them with me whenever I'm out snowshoeing on a body of water. They are nothing more than 5" lengths of 1 1/4" diameter dowels with nails partially driven into the ends with their heads cut off and the remaining shafts filed to sharp points. A short piece of 1/8" diameter plastic hose over the points protects both me and my clothes from the points. They are secured with a small eye bolt screwed into the non-working end and joined by para cord. The cord is draped across my shoulders in back of my neck and the picks stay in my coat pockets always at the ready. Simple but effective...

Like my Sam splint, I've never had to use them and hope I never do need to.

 

[mtnmama]

I can't believe this guy!!! Thanks for the info.
I certainly have learned from this video.

 

[twigeater]

I do wish he would have described or shown how he got his skis off...it looks like he may have taken them off boots and all??

 

[lumberzac]

I do wish he would have described or shown how he got his skis off...it looks like he may have taken them off boots and all??

I can't see the video, but every thing I've read about falling through the ice tells you to try an get your boots off, because they will act like anchors on your feet.

 

[Gremlin]

Dunno. As a Krazy Kanuck myself, I think be the time your sleeves freeze to the ice you're already dead. Water, as we all know, is a killer. Back in 1996 I was ice climbing with a bunch of students (and qualified instructors) and that same week-end a college group was ice climbing in the Dacks. For some reason a kid untied and then fell through the ice and wedged between the rock and the ice with the water flowing over him. They couldn't get him out in time.

On the other hand, some people have survived an amazingly long time.

 

[Jim lombard]

This guy is crazy, I've fallen through twice, full immersion once and would never do it intentially It's no fun at all. Good info though.

 

[twigeater]

True zac - just curious how he manipulated himself around to do it, being cold and having on wet, heavy layers. If I was just skiing, I wouldn't have heavy layers on, but if I was ice fishing....I hate to think how fast I'd sink once those heavy clothes got saturated.

The other thing is - I've heard from people who've fallen through the ice on snowmobiles that once you are completely under you can't tell which way is up.

The guy makes some good points, but like everything it's simpler in a controlled environment. He avoided the panic factor because he had his rescue team nearby.

 

[tonycc]

Here is a link to Professor Popsicle's web page. Lots more info and videos.

http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/physed/research/people/giesbrecht.shtml

And for treatment of hypothermia for after you get out, here is an excellent link.

http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/hypocold.shtml

Tony

 

[tonycc]

The guy makes some good points, but like everything it's simpler in a controlled environment. He avoided the panic factor because he had his rescue team nearby.

I've been in cold water and have experienced the immersion reflex. I've always gotten out as quickly as I could. My thinking, until I saw this video, was that if I was that incapacitated right away it would only get worse. Just knowing that the initial effect will pass can be useful in avoiding panic. I guess I should give this a try in a controlled environment to reinforce this knowledge.

Tony

 

[Mark]

Controlled Conditions

I don't know if I would try this same experiment, even if I did have the rescue team standing by. I've never fallen completely into ice water (I've been in up to my waist), but it doesn't look like fun. Try holding your hand in a bucket if ice water for a minute.

Trying some like this out in controlled conditions so one knows what to expect has its advantages. I once jumped into a spruce trap up to my neck to see how hard it would be to get out. I had three other companions ready to dig me out if I couldn't get out myself. (I knew they would help. I had the car keys in my pocket.)

 

[SAR-EMT40]

Same rescue sled that our service uses for water and ice rescues. Interesting video. Thanks for listing it.

As far as a Spruce trap I got caught in one of those one time by accident. I was wearing snowshoes and they were acting like the barb on a hook. Luckily my nephew was there. I think I would have been able to get out by myself but not without destroying the snowshoe. If I wouldn't have been able to destroy the binding to get my foot out it would have been real bad because I fell in such a way that I had no mechanical advantage to get myself out. I was laid over backwards at the knee with my other leg above the snow laying on my back. Looked humorous as hell I'm sure. But I really couldn't move.

Keith

 

[Neil]

FWIW I have enjoyed immersing myself in a lake with the mercury hovering at a cool neg. 40. Prior to this fun little treat we chopped a hole, got the sauna up to around 250 and sat around til we couldn't stand the heat a second longer. That water felt so good! What was really cool (no pun intended, I promise!) was standing around, buck naked, on a frozen Canadian (of course this makes it a better experience) lake waiting my turn to take the plunge.

 

[Gris]

Informative video. That guy is DEDICATED!

ps - Neil, too much data man...

 

[JohnL]

I do wish he would have described or shown how he got his skis off...it looks like he may have taken them off boots and all??

When his crew finally drags him out of the water, he has his boots on. The narrator says "After catching his breath and taking off his skis" and that's the only hint of how he did it.

JohnL

 

[Peakbagr]

A long time ago, a friend got me out ice fishing a number of seasons.
Late in the season, the sun melts the snow and ice along the shoreline during the day, exposing bare ground. The bare ground and warming temps in late Feb or early March mean that you often walk out on the ice at 4am. By the time you head back, there was sometimes lots of open water between the last of the ice and shore. You needed to hunt for a spot where a running start would carry you over open water, and if you fell short, you landed in water that was not over your head.
This was a tricky proposition with a 40 lb pack on your back.

We used to carry 1" dowels with cut nail driven into their ends, and drape them over our necks with a cord. If you fell thru or off the ice, its a slippery proposition trying to get back on. With the dowels, you reach up as far as you can onto the ice, drive in the points, and drag yourself out.
These have application to our winter hiking. Ice thins out even in midwinter where inlets and outlets flow under the ice.