What to do if you fall through thin ice? Follow these simple steps for self-rescue:
1) Keep your elbows up, or walk on ice with a stick. If you fall through, this will prevent your head from going under and taking a gasp of cold water.
2) Know that you will go through cold shock. It will be hard to breathe, and you will be in a panic. Make sure you first control your breathing before trying to get out!
3) Don’t try to pull yourself out; instead, perform a swimming motion with your legs. Swim forward – kicking your legs – and use that to get the majority of your body on thicker ice.
4) Keep your weight spread out. Crawl as far as you can to thicker ice. If you keep breaking through, keep performing the techniques. You have about 10 minutes of time before your body will shut down.
*Some people prefer to roll. I personally don’t like this option, but I demonstrated it regardless as some use it. For me, I don’t want to risk falling in while on my back. But in theory, it does alleviate any pressure points from the crawl.*
Here’s a link to some Ice Picks:
https://amzn.to/3TVGiZ1
I like these because they’re retractable and the rope wont get tangled as it’s a retractable one.
Once you get to shore, make sure to seek help even if you weren’t in the water long. Hypothermia is a serious risk and often is paired with confusion and an altered state of mind and well-being.
I gained inspiration for this video from REWILD UNIVERSITY – and from my own experience in Firefighting Ice Rescue Training
A Link to the ReWild video is here:
#Survival #fallthroughice #outdoors #icefishing #wintersurvival #howtosurvive #thinice
View original video here
