How to survive falling through the ice.

[risor39]

Here is a video I found on another site.Stay safe.http://www.exn.ca/video/?Video=exn20020325-icewater.asx

[John in Mn]

That link does not work correctly.

[went522]

Works for me.

BIRDDOG

[bluegill 1]

Thank you. Learned a lot. Great video

Stay safe,
david

[RANGER]

risor39,

Thanks.............learned something!

[ChadM]

Easiest way is to wear a life vest.

[RANGER]

Good point!!! Helps insulate, too!!

[karpbuster]

It works, but you have to wait (and be patient). I have DSL but it is slow.

Thanks for the info.

karpbuster

[Chuckles]

A mustang survival suit really helps also - we trained for ice rescue in exactly the same type of sawed hole in the ice. Very impressive what those suits can do.
Chuckles

[Seaguar]

Only one sure way to survive falling thru the ice, choose the mudpuddle wisely. Otherwise, keep prayed up and leave a will.

[REW]

The video really points out a very important thing.
You may srvive the initial fall through the ice. You may also be able to float - either with your own effort, or the use of a life vest. However, unless you have some aid - it is very very very difficult to get up out of the ice hole.

So, in addition to the items mentioned above - a very very good thing to carry with you on your ice ventures is a pair of hand held ice picks on a rope around your neck. Then, if you should have the misadventure to fall through the ice, you can reach up to the edge of the ice - jam in the ice picks and pull yourself up on the ice edge.

Without the ice picks to help, it is very very difficult to get up on the edge with the slick ice.

These ice picks on a rope are readily avaialble at most places where ice fishing products are sold.

The $5-$10 expense for these picks could save your life.
Hopefully you will have have to use them.

--
Another thing that my brother made for me was a coil of rope in a pouch that straps on your waist.

Then, if there is someone either in the water and you are on the ice, or coversely, if you are in the water and someone else is on the ice - a rope can be thrown to the person in the ice to get pulled out.

As the video explains, the thing working against anyone in the water is time. Hypothermia sets in pretty quickly and most folks can't survive in the water much more than 5-10 minutes. So time is very important to make things happen quickly.

Take care and be safe.
REW

[risor39]

Very good points made about safety items.I wonder why they did not include this in the video?I for one would not even think of going out on questionable ice alone.I do see some doing this very thing,one lone fisherman by himself with nobody else around.I would hate to be going out and find someone floating in a hole in the ice.You can also make a cheap pair with a couple of wood dowels and some nails.I like the rope in a pouch idea too.

[karpbuster]

Just noticed this from our local DGF:

MINIMUM GUIDELINES for SAFETY on ICE: Many of our traditional ice-fishing lakes are getting ice; as of Tuesday, none was declared OK to walk on. Here is a jump-start on the most basic of safety considerations for the state's thousands of ice-fishermen— from guidelines used for many years by Minnesota's Office for Water Safety.
Never consider ice safe— You can't predict safety by looking at the ice surface. Four inches of new clear ice will support one individual walking or ice-fishing. Don't go alone. Carry a 25-foot length of rope with a weight for throwing.

I guess the rope and weight is to throw to someone to pull you out, but I would want a more likely solution like a rope with a grapling hook on the end. Or the ice picks and rope.

karpbuster

[Max]

That movie was awesome, i've always wondered that.


-Max

[nimrod]

this video is fantastic. i fell through to winters ago. drove my four-wheeler into a pressure crack on lake simco. it was definitly an situation i dont want to happen again. i invested in a mustang survival suit, ice picks and athrowing line. oh ya the machine made it too.

[Morton]

Growing up in wisconsin we used to put about a 30' length of rope into a 1/2 gallon plastic milk jug.

1) Poke a hole through the bottom and thread the rope through from the neck ( a piece of wire or fish tape helps alot )... finish with a large knot or tie on a dowel across the bottom or bulky item of choice.
2) Insert the rope into the jug from the neck.
3) Tie a 12" to 14" hand loop on the tag or throwers end.
This is easy to throw and stow ... even in the bucket you are sitting on.

I have and seen others use this with success in the past. It is easy to throw with a measure of accuracy and will provide some limited flotation.

I have since grown old and don't brave first ice any more but still carry one of these in my truck.

[Julio]

Being 50ish and an avid skater,iwent under close to a beaver dam.Not realizing that water was flowing.The rest of the ice was great.When i came up i turned to my 7 yr old and screamed follow your tracks and get off the ice, he laughed.I got out by pulling myself onto the ice,letting it break then repeating tht till i got a toe hold.Asked Andy why he laughed and he said he thought it was another of my teaching lesons.Tr before i upset him checking trot line in a conue.But he knew to leave the gear to me and head out of the water.Looked like a drown rat. Julio

[setdahook]

Great vid I didnt realize as much as I thought

[Unlogged T-Mac]

My server is too slow today.. to watch it...but if they did not mention ice picks (or awls) they left out something very, very important...as REW stated.

Put two picks on a cord... one on each end and hang the cord around your neck when ice fishing.
When it is cold, and you are wet... EVERYTHING... depends on how fast you can get out of the water and get to warmth.

Good work on that one, REW!