Several weeks a ago a friend of mine noticed several children (11 years old) walking across the Chagrin River off Riverside Park. The ice was incredibly thin and near moving water which makes it even more weak. When yelled at by nearby adults the girl later commented that she could have easily pulled herself out had she fallen through. NOT A CHANCE. Once you drop under, currents can immediately push you 10 feet before you even react. Now you are locked under ice and can die. The Orange Village Fire Department conducts annual trainings with our ice sled. It is not easy work to rescue someone who has fallen through ice. And when we train I can attest that our "volunteer" (wearing a dry suit) is NOT able to pull him/herself out of the frigid water without the help of several firefighters on an ice sled. We've had a warm winter but it's getting colder. PLEASE tell your children to stay off ice unless with an adult in an approved area. Better yet, visit The Pond or other ice skating rinks and avoid the uncertainties and variables of pond ice. "Help Us To Help You"....take 5 minutes and go over this safety tip with your kids.