Red cross warns river ice is a deadly hazard
Posted Dec 22, 2010 06:32:32 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The tragic death of nine-year-old Olisa Joseph on Monday has brought the danger of ice on lakes and rivers into sharp focus.
In recent weeks, the OPP and the Red Cross have sent out reminders to stay away from ice on rivers and creeks because of its instability.
In section of the Rideau River where Joseph drowned, the current is extremely strong. Joseph was quickly swept away and carried almost a kilometre downstream.
According to the Red Cross, there are a number of things to keep in mind around ice. If it’s blue, it’s strongest. White or opaque ice is half the strength of blue ice and is formed by wet snow freezing on the ice. Grey ice indicates the presence of water, and is unstable.
The Red Cross also said it also says ice should be at least 15 centimetres thick to walk on, 20 centimetres for skating, and 25 centimetres for snowmobiling.
Avoiding dangerous ice is important, because as Ottawa Fire’s Marc Messier tells 1310News that if you fall through river ice in Ottawa’s winter, hypothermia is “almost immediate”.
Hypothermia occurs when the body’s core temperature drops below 30 degrees Celsius. The body loses heat 30 times faster in the water than the air.
