Why You Should Be Cautious Around Frozen Bodies of Water

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Freezing weather conditions may create safety hazards that can harm you or cause property damage. For instance, we recently discussed how you could cause a house fire by improperly heating your home. Another blog later this week will talk about the hazards of frozen pipes. Frozen bodies of water are a cold-weather hazard that deserve more attention. Each year, people fall through the ice of frozen lakes, rivers and ponds.

Any type of activity over frozen bodies of water could put you at risk of drowning. There is no guarantee the ice will be able to support your weight. You could experience hypothermia within minutes if you were to fall through the ice. Hypothermia drops your body temperature and impairs your ability to control movements. You could be unable to escape the water after developing this condition.

Are There Other Additional Ice Safety Tips?

There are other safety tips that you could take into consideration to avoid drowning.

• Never enter the water to rescue a pet or another person who has fallen through ice. You could extend an object to pull them out; just be sure you are not pulled onto the ice by the person’s body weight. Always call emergency services to perform a rescue. They have the training and equipment to deal with frozen water drowning scenarios.
• Always supervise children in areas where there are frozen bodies of water. Children are more likely to be attracted to frozen lakes and ponds. Nearby residents could also call the authorities if they see children on the ice.
• Keep dogs on a leash when you are walking near areas with frozen bodies of water.

Washington DC and the East Coast could still have several weeks of cold weather. For future updates on winter weather safety tips, follow the Washington DC personal injury lawyers at Regan Zambri Long PLLC on Facebook and Twitter.