Thin ice makes ponds dangerous
A thin layer of ice covered a portion of the pond near Wilson Hall last January.
A dog chasing a goose onto the ice on one of Fermilab’s ponds last week broke through to the frigid water below.
He easily could have died as a Yorkshire terrier did when it fell through another pond on site Nov. 29.
But this German shepherd mix was lucky. His owner jumped in to save him, and five members of the Fermilab Fire Department along with three members of the Roads and Grounds crew arrived shortly afterward. They saved the man from freezing by wrapping both him and his dog in wool blankets and driving them to safety.
While at this time of year ice-covered ponds beckon for skating, ice fishing and even goose chasing, venturing on the ice can be deadly for both animals and people.
Not far from the laboratory, a 9-year-old girl drowned after she and an 8-year-old boy fell through ice on a neighborhood pond in Naperville last month.
Even cool water can steal body heat, causing hypothermia, said Neil Dal Cerro, battalion chief for the Fermilab Fire Department.
“And if you have hypothermia, you’re very susceptible to going into cardiac arrest,” Dal Cerro added. “I don’t care how healthy you are.”
When considering walking on ice, keep in mind that water that appears thoroughly frozen can be deceptive.
Ice fishing enthusiasts check the thickness of ice by drilling a hole before picking a spot. They look for ice at least four inches thick. But thickness alone does not determine ice strength. Ice does not necessarily lose its thickness as it melts; it often decays into a weakened, porous condition.
Ice created by melting snow looks opaque or milky and has a low density, making it weak. The strongest type of ice is clear and formed by a long, hard freeze. But this type of ice can be misleading as well. Heat released by rotting vegetation and water currents underneath the ice can erode it.
Dal Cerro suggests treating all ice with caution and watching pets around the water.
“Make sure to have them leashed,” Dal Cerro said. “They’ll chase animals into the water. The ice is very thin right now and very easy to go right through.”
-- Kathryn Grim