Yorkton firefighters practice ice rescues

YORKTON -

The Yorkton Fire Department is preparing for the cold weather ahead by practicing special rescue techniques used to help someone on ice or in cold water.

In rescue situations, firefighters first try to coach the person trapped on ice before throwing a life rope to pull them out. If those methods don’t work, the rescue effort escalates.

Yorkton Fire Chief Trevor Morrissey said that in situations when a person looks like their consciousness is deteriorating, it’s important for them to move quickly.

“We want to get them as quickly as possible before they slide under the surface of the water. Once they’re under the ice it is very difficult to find somebody,” he said.

In instances when emergency responders are not around, Morrissey said members of the public can help a person on ice by throwing a rope and keeping them talking.

“Keep them awake as long as you can. The cold water makes that difficult but the more you can do to stimulate them and keep them talking, the better the chances are they won’t go unconscious,” he said.

As the desire to participate in winter activities continues to grow, Morrissey recommends bringing the right tools and checking ice conditions.

“We don’t recommend walking on ice unless it’s at least four inches, we don’t recommend driving with a snowmobile on ice unless it’s at least six [inches] and [for] a small vehicle it’s 12 inches of ice,” he said.