The German Life-Rescue Society (DLRG) warns against stepping on the ice surfaces that form. As tempting as the ice cream may be, a walk there is life-threatening.
The crisp sub-zero temperatures of the past few nights have ensured that some of the lakes are frozen over, especially in the Black Forest. According to forecasts, it should remain frosty in the coming days. At the same time, in times of Corona, more and more people are drawn to the great outdoors. The German Lifesaving Society (DLRG) warns urgently against stepping on the ice. As tempting as the ice cover may be, a walk on it is life-threatening, warn the water rescuers of the Breisgau district.
In general, according to the DLRG, frozen bodies of water should only be entered once it has been officially approved. Although the ice sheet is several centimeters thick in many places, air pockets or warmer currents under the ice sheet can considerably reduce its stability. Snow and overgrown riparian zones also changed the load-bearing capacity of the ice. This should only be approved from a thickness of about 15 centimeters, with flowing water of at least 20 centimeters, is the recommendation of the DLRG federal association.
Mirco Bahr
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“If the ice cracks, you should immediately lie flat on your stomach and carefully slide towards the bank,” says Mirco Bahr, head of operations in the DLRG district of Breisgau, on how to behave in the event of an accident. “If someone breaks in, everyone involved has to act very carefully, because you should only approach the break-in point very carefully. An upside-down sled, a ladder or a rope are also suitable aids in the event of an ice break-in,” explains Bahr. Before you even take action, you should call the emergency services on 112. In an emergency, quick help is required, the casualty is in danger of getting hypothermic. After being rescued from the ice, the patient should warm up slowly in a heated room and, as a matter of principle, seek medical treatment, writes the DLRG. In addition, she points out that in the event of an ice accident, emergency divers should always be alerted: “This is the only way to ensure that valuable time is not lost if the person who broke in gets under the ice,” says Bahr.
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