OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Ponds, lakes and rivers are just a few places we go to cool off in the summer, but they can turn into dangerous ice baths in the winter months, as water temperatures fall and the risk of danger rises.
Fire Lieutenant Ben Petry from the Overland Park Fire Department talked about some misconceptions when it comes to cold and frozen bodies of water.
He said that your body could go into hypothermia even if water isn’t frozen, but just cold, since hypothermia depends on your body’s ability to maintain its temperature, not necessarily the temperature of the water.
The effects of being in cold water or ice water are immediate, and I found out first hand as I stuck my hand in ice-cold water for about 40 seconds. My ability to grab, pull and clinch a rope became slim to none. Similar symptoms happen when people are trapped in cold water or ice.
When temperatures dip below freezing for an extended period of time, a thin sheet of ice may form and it may become tempting to walk or play on it.
That may be dangerous, especially with the typical winters we see in Missouri in Kansas, because it can be difficult to determine the thickness of the ice, and whether or not it will be able to hold the weight of a person.
For example, some winters have brief periods of extremely cold temperatures followed by a warmup. This freezing and thawing effect can make a layer of ice look deceivingly safe, but with the weight of your body on top, a simple crack is enough to send your falling through.
Fire departments are equipped with tools to help rescue someone if they do fall through ice, such as thick, full-body dry suits that keep water out from head to toe, and ice shoes to safely walk on ice.
However, they would rather you avoid the ice all together.
“It may look like you can walk out on the ice, but we recommend not going even close to that, or any kind of frozen water. It will look safe, but it’s not. I guarantee you it is not,” Petry said.
