The Oklahoma City Fire Department is cautioning area residents to stay off dangerous ice along the shore areas of area ponds and lakes.
Kids Rescued
The department along with Oklahoma City Police had to rescue several kids yesterday who had nearly fallen into frigid water, thinking the ice was thick enough already to support their weight. It hasn't been cold enough, long enough to thicken ice coverage enough to handle the weight of a human.
BEWARE!
The fire department, on it's Facebook page, offers the following advice:
Walking on frozen bodies of water can be extremely dangerous and should be avoided. Here are some reasons why this is risky:
1. Thin ice: The thickness of ice can vary across different areas of a lake. It may look solid, but there could be weak spots or thin layers that could break under your weight.
2. Visibility of cracks and holes: It can be challenging to identify cracks, holes, or weak areas in the ice just by looking at its surface. This increases the risk of falling through and getting trapped in freezing water.
3. Hypothermia: Falling into icy water can lead to a rapid loss of body heat, leading to hypothermia, where the body's core temperature drops dangerously low.
Hypothermia can be life-threatening if not treated promptly.
