What might be the coldest day and night in recent winters is forecast to occur this week in central Ohio and surrounds. Single-digit and subzero temperatures can add inches to ice in short order.
While almost any onset of hard water lures anglers, youngsters and various winter-weather enthusiasts, venturers should always approach ice with a cool head. Neither acute cold snaps nor long freezes make ice completely safe.
As the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources cautions on its website, “You can’t judge the strength of ice just by its appearance, age, thickness, temperature or whether or not the ice is covered with snow.”
Factors unseen, including water depth, water chemistry and the strength and location of current, affect the integrity of an ice sheet, which can vary dramatically in thickness across the space of a few feet.
Minnesota, where lakes are numerous, seasonal weather is generally frigid and winters are typically long, has been counting ice fatalities for decades. During the 35 winter seasons between 1977-78 and 2011-12, the count was 215, about six a year. In the five most-recent winters, the death toll was 14, an average of just under three.
The decreasing number suggests that educational efforts might be having an effect.
Ohio, where ice cover occurs somewhat sporadically if at all these days, occasionally draws national attention when dozens, scores or hundreds of stranded fishermen require rescuing from breakaway ice floes on Lake Erie. Such an event last occurred in 2009.
Heartbreaking are the deaths of youngsters who break through ice. A 5-year-old boy in Columbus and his would-be rescuer died at an apartment complex pond in February.
Central Ohio anglers generally are savvy enough to stay away from reservoirs where water levels fluctuate. The release of water at reservoirs such as Alum Creek and Hoover, for example, can leave a gap of air between the ice on top of the lake and the liquid water below. Such ice is highly unstable.
That said, historical canal impoundments such as Indian and Buckeye lakes tend to maintain stable water levels safer for outdoor activity, if the ice is thick enough.
Thickness guidelines for new, clear ice warn that 4 inches is the minimum for walkers or spread-out groups of ice fishermen, 5 inches for a snowmobile or ATVs, 8 to 12 inches for a car or a small pickup, and 12 to 15 inches for a medium truck.
Checking ice thickness with an auger, a drill or a chisel before walking out on it is probably the minimum precaution a solitary or small group should take. Before heading out, find out at the local bait store about potentially hazardous areas.
On large bodies of water, such as Lake Erie, it’s almost imperative for less-experienced anglers to hook up with a guide. Guides know their customers’ safety and success hinge on ice conditions and approaching weather.
Under almost any circumstance, anyone moving about on hard water risks getting a frigid bath. Safety experts advise that survival chances are far higher when wearing a life vest or a flotation snowmobile suit. A set of ice picks or spikes — or even easily reached screwdrivers — dug into the ice can help a dunked person drag himself to safety.
Buddies are better off keeping some separation when hiking toward a fishing sport. That way, should one person get wet, another can attempt a rescue or call for help.
Numerous strategies are employed to maintain safety. Many ice fishermen carry a rope or a pole. Would-be rescuers should avoid standing on the edge of a break in the ice. Some people venture out dragging along some sort of float — a small, light, flat-bottom boat, for example.
A search engine can lead a Web surfer to numerous sites that offer specific advice on what to carry on the ice, what to think about and how to handle an emergency. A review of precautions and protocols before heading out might save a life.