HENRICO COUNTY, Va. β Winter weather has frozen over parts of the James River in Richmond and other Central Virginia ponds and lakes, but safety officials are warning the community that the ice is not safe for walking and urging people not to put themselves and others in danger.
The safety warning comes after a toddler died Monday after falling into a pond at a Henrico apartment complex. Henrico police continue to investigate how the child ended up in the pond.
Henrico Fire Battalion Chief Doug Reynolds said the tragedy serves as a reminder about the dangers of going onto frozen lakes, ponds or rivers.
"Our biggest thing is schools out. There's a ton of kids... they're sleigh riding. Maybe they're getting too close to it. They're going to start exploring. They're getting bored in the house. This looks very tempting," Reynolds said.
Reynolds said ice needs to be at least 4 inches thick before it's safe to walk on. Richmond's climate doesn't create quality ice conditions, he explained.
"It gets cold, it kind of thaws, it kind of melts and then it refreezes," Reynolds said. "It's hard to get that quality ice that you see up in Michigan, where they're out there ice fishing all the time. It's just it's so rare here."
Standing on the edge of a somewhat frozen pond, Reynolds demonstrated how to help someone who has fallen through ice.
"Get them to hook their arm in there, and then hopefully you can drag them back in," Reynolds said.
If You Fall Through the Ice
If someone falls through ice, Reynolds advises not to panic and avoid gasping and gulping down water.
"From that point, it's all about trying to keep your head above water and trying to get into a tight ball to try to keep your core body heat," Reynolds said.
If You See Someone Fall Through the Ice
For bystanders witnessing someone fall through ice, the first step is calling 911.
Don't go into the water after them, but try to find things to throw to the victim to help them float.
"You just want something that's bigger than the hole that they're sitting in, so that hopefully, as they're on the ice they can get to this position... you may not have 100 foot rope, but you probably have one of these in your garage. Tie a big loop on it. They're not going to be able to hold on to it. But if you can try to talk them into getting this around them," Reynolds said.
If someone is successfully rescued from ice, get them inside, remove wet clothes and don't put them in hot water. Instead, bring up their body temperature naturally and wrap them in blankets while waiting for emergency responders.
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