Falling through ice¶

Falling through ice is frightening, and cold water shocks the body fast. This page tells you how to get yourself out, and how to help someone else without becoming a second victim.

Do this now¶

If you fall in:

1. Stay calm. Cold water makes you gasp. Wait a moment and get your breathing under control.
2. Keep your winter clothing on. Trapped air helps you float.
3. Turn to face the direction you came from. That ice held you, so it is the most likely to hold again.
4. Reach forward onto the unbroken ice, kick your legs hard, and pull yourself out.
5. Once out, do not stand. Roll or crawl away from the hole.
6. Get to a warm, dry place and call your local emergency number (911 in the United States and Canada, 112 across the European Union, 999 in the United Kingdom).

If someone else has fallen in, call for help first, then reach or throw. Do not walk out to them.

If you fall in¶

The first minute is cold shock: you gasp and breathe fast. This passes. Try to keep your head above water and breathe slowly. You have more time to act than you might think, but your arms and legs lose strength quickly in cold water, so do not waste it.

Put your arms across the edge of the ice, and kick your legs behind you until your body is flat in the water. Then pull and kick together, like climbing onto a pool deck, and slide forward onto the ice. If the ice breaks, keep trying, working your way toward the thickest ice. Ice picks or two sharp tools, worn around the neck, help you grip.

Once you are out¶

• Roll or crawl away from the hole, with your arms and legs spread wide to share your weight. Keep going until you are on thick ice or on shore.
• Get out of the wind, and change into dry clothes as soon as you can.
• Warm up gradually. See hypothermia and frostbite.
• Get medical care. Cold water can cause problems that show up later.

If someone else falls in¶

The most important rule is: do not go onto the ice. Many people who try to help also fall through. Help from solid ground.

1. Call. Call your local emergency number and tell them exactly where you are and how many people are in the water.
2. Talk. Shout to the person to keep fighting, tell them help is on the way, and tell them to kick toward the edge.
3. Reach. From solid ice or shore, hold out a long object such as a ladder, branch, pole, or scarf. Lie flat if you have to be on ice. If they pull you toward the hole, let go and try again.
4. Throw. Throw a rope, a life ring, or anything that floats. Tie a loop in a rope if you can.
5. Go only as a last resort. Trained rescuers wear a flotation device and are tied to a rope. If you are not trained, do not go out.

Pull the person out slowly and keep them flat. Once they are out, move them off the ice, take off wet clothing, and wrap them in blankets or dry coats. Treat the person gently, as a rough move can strain a very cold heart. See hypothermia and frostbite. If the person is not breathing, start CPR.

Rescue a pet¶

Do not go after a pet on thin ice. Pets can often get out on their own, and many pets rescued by owners have led to people drowning. Call the fire service or animal rescue instead.

Before you go on ice¶

Ice is never completely safe. Thickness varies across a lake and over time, and you cannot judge it by looks alone. Local authorities and park services publish ice thickness guidance, and many advise that ice must be at least 10 centimeters (4 inches) of clear, solid ice for walking.

• Check with local officials or a park service about conditions
• Avoid ice near moving water, inlets, docks, and where snow covers the surface
• Never go out alone, and tell someone your plan
• Carry ice picks, a rope, a whistle, and a phone in a waterproof bag
• Wear a flotation device or float suit
• Keep dogs on a leash
• Stay off ice in spring, when it weakens

Related guides¶

• Hypothermia and frostbite
• Drowning
• CPR
• Winter storms
• Emergency numbers