Expert: Going Out On Ice Like Boy In Bronx River Is Never Safe
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- With extreme cold on the horizon, some people may think it's safe to go out on the ice on a frozen lake or river.
But as CBS2's Dave Carlin reported Friday, safety experts are quick to remind everyone that it most assuredly is not safe.
Firefighters in rescue suits were back in the Bronx River for a drill Friday, less than 24 hours after they had to put their training into action for the real thing.
The FDNY wanted the pros to show trainees exactly how they plucked an Rahquan Brooks, 11, from the river near Westchester Avenue in the Soundview section of the Bronx, after he found himself caught on treacherous, cracking ice.
Rahquan went onto the ice with a 13-year-old boy who got out safely. But Rahquan was stranded, and two FDNY rescuers themselves crashed into the freezing river when they got close to the boy.
A life preserver was thrown and a ladder was extended, and everyone walked out alive.
"They calmed the boy down, and they did their thing with the right equipment -- very good," said water rescue expert Jon Favreau.
Favreau, of Landfall Rescue, trains firefighters and has participated in rescues on ice for more than two decades.
"No ice is safe ice," Favreau said. "You can't be guaranteed anything."
But people don't listen, and about 1,000 Americans every year fall through ice.
Those who go through the ice and underwater in a river with currents are usually doomed -- panicking, drifting, and unable to find the hole they fell through.
Favreau said the time to act is the instant the ice cracks. He advises that you should get on your belly, and backtrack by crawling.
"Spread your arms and legs out so you are taking your 200 pounds and spreading it over 8 square feet," Favreau said. "Get off the ice as quickly as possible."
The experts said if you see a person or an animal in trouble out on the ice, it is time to call 911 immediately. Further, any rescue you attempt must be done from the shore on solid ground.
A video of an incident four years ago at a mountain lake in Southern California provided a perfect demonstration of what not to do. When a man fell through the ice into the water, rescuers created a domino effect – each falling in themselves one by one when they went in after him, Miraculously, everybody survived.
Favreau advised that everyone needs a freeze-proof $4 emergency whistle, and a $20 ice pick that can go around your neck.
"You'd grab this, you stab the ice like that, and pull yourself up," Favreau said.
He also advised getting a float coat. They start at about $100.
"Built in to it is a class-three, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life preserver," Favreau said.
But most of all, Favreau said avoiding the ice altogether is the best plan.
