Fatal falls through ice: How a ‘balmy winter’ is raising safety concerns
Frozen rivers and lakes can be deceptive, especially during an unseasonably warm winter like this one.
That’s why first responders and environmental researchers are urging Canadians to exercise caution near waterways after a string of tragedies over the holidays.
In less than a week, at least six Canadians have died after falling into icy bodies of water. The latest victims were a pair of teenagers in Ottawa, whose bodies were pulled from the Rideau River. Emergency crews rescued two other teens Wednesday night.
“Ice can be very unpredictable,” said Stephanie Bakalar, a spokesperson with the Lifesaving Society, an organization promoting water safety.
“People look at the ice and think ‘it looks frozen,’” said Bakalar. “They don’t realize all the complexities it takes to actually form solid, safe ice.”
That solid, safe ice is becoming less common because of higher-than-normal temperatures across the country.
Those dangers were highlighted in Lac Ste. Anne County, west of Edmonton. Police discovered the bodies of a couple and their eight-year-old child on Tuesday. Investigators believe their utility terrain vehicle, or “side-by-side,” went through the ice.
Meanwhile, a 61-year-old man west of Calgary died Christmas Day, after falling into the Bow River.
“Police believe that the victim was taking a photo of something and when he fell through the ice,” Alberta RCMP Const. Kelsey Davidge told Global News.
North of Quebec City, a four-year-old girl passed through a safety barrier and fell into a river last Friday, while she was out sledding with her mother. Provincial police are calling the search a recovery mission.
The Lifesaving Society says most people who drown never intended on going into the water.
“They’re often playing
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