How to get out of an ice hole and help a comrade: recommendations from rescuers
Currently, the ice cover on the water bodies of the district is in the active melting phase, and therefore, going out on the ice has become extremely dangerous. Nevertheless, there are still "desperate souls" who put themselves at unreasonable risk in search of fishing luck.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations offers the following recommendations if you find yourself in an ice trap or witness an accident.
If you fall through the ice:
1. Do not panic. Rescue depends 90% on the confidence and psychological state of the person who has fallen through the ice. If there are people nearby, call for help.
2. Try not to go under the water with your head.
3. Move towards the edge of the ice hole from which the current is flowing. Once there, try to lean your chest on the edge of the ice and, throwing one leg up, get onto the ice. Even if the ice breaks, do not give up trying to get out.
4. When the main part of your body is on the ice, crawl or roll away from the ice hole. Slowly and carefully crawl to a safe place, returning along your own tracks.
5. Once on land, remove and wring out your wet clothes. Move and do strength exercises, build a fire. Call an ambulance.
If you witness someone falling through the ice:
- When helping a person who has fallen through the ice, be careful not to end up needing to rescue two people.
- First, do not panic and think about what you can do and whether it is within your capabilities. It may be best to call for more experienced help.
- Arm yourself with a stick, pole, rope, or board, carefully crawl to the ice hole, distributing your body weight evenly over the surface, pushing the rescue device in front of you.
- Having approached the ice hole to the maximum possible safe distance, extend the stick, pole, or throw the rope to the victim.
- When you start pulling the victim out, ask them to use their legs: this will make it easier to pull them out of the ice hole.
- Pull the victim to a safe place and provide first aid necessary for hypothermia. Call an ambulance.
What to do if an inanimate body is pulled from the water?
- Drain water from the lungs.
- Perform artificial respiration and indirect heart massage.
- It is imperative to try to bring a person back to life, even if they have been in cold water for more than 10 minutes.
Attention!!! The Ministry of Emergency Situations reminds you that going out on