There is no ice in the pool at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Leisure Centre.
The temperature is comfortable for swimsuit-clad swimmers, but, even so, it was recently Ice Safety Day at the centre.
“It’s important to teach children of the dangers of ice and how to be safe. It’s winter," said Saul Trujillo, a lifeguard at the centre who led an ice safety demonstration.
Even if there was no actual ice on the pools, safety could be taught “through games, using equipment we have at the pool,” said fellow lifeguard Sabrina Sequeira.
Fall through thin ice? How to save yourself
The first lesson was how to save yourself if you fall through thin ice. Using float mats to represent sheets of ice, participants were told to break away the thinnest ice with their fists, and once on firm ice, to kick their feet and use elbows and knees to wiggle up onto the ice surface.
Don’t try to stand on the ice, which could break. “Crawl out,” advised Trujillo. “Keep your body low.”
How to save someone else
The next lesson involved rescuing someone else who has broken through thin ice.
Do not walk out onto the ice, the kids were told. Instead, lie down flat on the shore and use whatever is at hand — a branch, rope, flotation device, coat — to try to reach the victim.
If you can’t reach, tell the victim to assume the “heat escape lessening posture”, drawing their knees up to their chest, and wrapping their arms around their knees. It will help them keep afloat, and conserve body heat, slowing hypothermia.
Call 911. Identify yourself and your location, then provide a description of what has happened. Be calm and clear.
Be aware of dangers
Trujillo and Sequeira emphasized that the best way to stay safe is to be aware of the dangers. If the ice is less than 10 centimetres thick, stay off of it ― and remember that ice is never uniform in thickness, and may be thinner near flowing water, creeks and narrows, where currents are strongest.
Ice should be at least 10 cm thick for walking, 12 cm for snowmobiling, and more than 20-30 cm for vehicles.
Always carry a fully charged cellphone in case of emergency — and never head out on the ice alone. If someone falls through the ice, always call 911.
It was an important lesson in safety, one, said Sequeira, that kids don’t always hear. “They don’t teach this in school!”
After the activities and a safety quiz, there was an obstacle course with prizes, just for fun.
