KC-area first responders warn not to walk on thin ice
OLATHE, Kan. – Stay off the ice.
That’s the message from emergency responders as bodies of water freeze during the cold snap we’re seeing. They said there can be deadly consequences.
Working for you, FOX4 talked with officials from the Olathe and Lenexa fire departments about the dangers of walking on thin ice.
Emergency responders want people to be aware of thin ice. You might see lakes or ponds start to freeze over.
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“Just stay off the ice,” Lenexa Assistant Fire Chief Butch Diekemper said.
“Simply don’t do it,” Olathe Fire Battalion Chief Sean Brooks said.
Brooks said unless a trained professional has verified the ice is solid and safe to be on, it’s best to stick to land.
“At a minimum, someone’s going to be extremely cold, extremely cold,” Brooks said, “but unfortunately it presents the worst danger that anybody could ever face.”
Diekemper knows how fast and tragic a situation can turn when someone falls through the ice into freezing water.
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Almost a year ago, Lenexa rescue crews got a call about someone in the water at Shawnee Mission Park. Diekemper said several area rescue teams responded.
Rescue crews said a 21-year-old man fell through the ice in the lake’s “off leash” area – and never came back up. Dive crews found the man’s body that afternoon.
“Hypothermia’s going to kick in. The best thing to do when you fall in, or if you do fall in, is remain calm,” Diekemper said. “Get your arms up above the ice and try and hold on. Yell for help.”
Diekemper said typically someone will not survive freezing cold water for more than 15 minutes.
With emergency crews’ ice rescue suits, Diekemper said they can be in that kind of water for up to 30 minutes. He said his team stays prepared. Crews can get zipped up in minutes to save a life.
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Diekemper said if it’s necessary to get on the ice, it needs to be 4 inches thick and 6-8 inches if there’s snow on top.
The problem is there could be thinner ice at different points of a lake.
If you see a person fall in, Diekemper said first call 911. Then try to find something to throw them and pull them in. But don’t go on the ice, he said.
“A long branch, a rope or anything else that you can throw out to them to help pull them in,” Diekemper said, “But we would not recommend going out on the ice because you’ll end up becoming the second victim.”
If you find an animal or your pet has fallen through the ice, you should also call for emergency help. Officials said do not go in after them.
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“It would be a natural human instinct to go after any animals, especially our own pets,” Brooks said. “We want to advise everybody to stay off the ice no matter what, whether that be for your own fun, or to go out and get a pet or to get a deer that you see out there, simply don’t do it.”
Brooks said they get called on two or three ice rescues a season. They double that number when it comes to rescuing animals, Brooks said.
