“The first ice phenomena are observed in water bodies. In the near future, the water level will fluctuate slightly. In lakes, the thickness of the ice is considered solid and can already support a person when it is seven centimeters or more thick. To support a group of people, the thickness of the ice should not be thinner than 12 centimeters. In rivers, the ice cover is never safe,” the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service announced on Friday.
On Saturday, it will snow a little in places, the lowest temperature at night is 3-8 degrees, in some places up to 10 degrees of frost, the highest during the day is 1-6 degrees of frost, at the seaside it is about 0 degrees.
On Sunday night, the temperature will be 5-10, in some places it will clear up to 13 degrees of frost, during the day 3-8 degrees of frost.
Rescuers say it should be 10 degrees below zero for about a week before the ice can be climbed safely.
“It is not safe to climb on the ice at the moment. Those who try to do so risk their lives,” warns Giedrius Ruočkus, head of the 6th team of the Vilnius Fire Rescue Board.
According to the Fire Protection and Rescue Department, from November 2022 to March 2023, firefighters performed 45 rescue operations on ice. Eight drowned people were pulled out, including one child.
18 people were rescued. In November of this year, it was already necessary to pull broken animals from water bodies.
“Last winter, our firemen and divers repeatedly had to rescue stranded fishermen and search for drowning people. Even when walking on solid ice, fishermen must wear a life jacket or a special waterproof and water-retaining suit, carry ice spikes, a rope, walk on the ice more than alone, check the strength of the ice, be especially careful on the edges or where there is vegetation, do not gather with fishermen, to keep a distance from other people”, says G. Ruočkus.
According to G. Ruočkaus, a broken person still has a chance to survive if he is able to hold on to the edge of the ice and call for help.
To avoid accidents on ice, it is important to know that solid ice always has a blue or green tint, while frosted white or yellow ice is unstable because it contains a lot of air.
Brittle, thin ice is found in places where tree branches, boards and other objects freeze in it, as well as close to bushes, trees, reeds. Unstable ice is also formed in places where streams flow in, water from factories, where there are springs.
When walking on ice, you should avoid areas that are covered with snow or sleet, because the ice is always thinner under snow.
You need to be especially careful near the shore, because the ice here is weaker and may have cracks.
Ice is also very dangerous during rain showers.
In turn, the Ministry of the Environment warns that fishermen fishing on unsafe ice, ice thinner than seven centimeters and without spikes will be warned or fined between 10 and 60 euros.
It is also mandatory to comply with the requirements for safe behavior on surface water bodies in the water and on the ice of surface water bodies approved by the municipal councils. Violations of these requirements are punishable by a fine from 100 to 300 euros, and such a repeated offense entails a fine from 300 to 900 euros.
In addition to spikes, it is recommended that fishermen have a rope or at least a scarf that can be used as a rope in case of an emergency. It is safest to wear a wetsuit on a frozen body of water.
#ice #unstable #climb #firemen #forecasters #warn
2024-08-02 03:28:57
