Saskatchewan RCMP warns ice is still too thin to walk on

Cracks in the ice on a Cambridge, Ont. pond on Dec. 4, 2024. (Hannah Schmidt/CTV News)

The Saskatchewan RCMP is warning those across the province to stay off frozen bodies of the water, as the ice is still too thin to travel on.

“Winter is coming very slowly this year. Lakes, rivers, sloughs, ponds and dugouts are slowly freezing on the surface, but there is still warm water below the surface. This creates weak ice that is unsafe,” explained Cpl. Jamie Diemert in a news release published Nov. 28.

According to Diemert, in this state the ice can break under the weight of a single person. Once someone is in the water, it is incredibly difficult to get out of cold water with ice breaking around them.

• Download the CTV News app to get breaking news alerts sent to your device

White or snow ice is the weakest form of ice. It forms close to 0 Celsius and traps air and snow when freezing.

The strongest type of ice is recognized as clear ice, which appears blue. Minimum thicknesses deemed safe by The Canadian Red Cross are 15 cm (six inches) for skating, walking or skiing in small groups, 20 cm (nearly eight inches) for large groups, and 25 cm (almost 10 inches), for snowmobiles or ATVs.

The police service shared some ice safety tips for those planning to be around bodies of water:

• In the early season, do not walk, play, work or drive on the ice
• If you’re on the ice, use a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) and have a self-rescue ice pick readily available
• If you fall into the water, call for help. Do not press on the ice to raise yourself up. Instead try to swim out horizontally and kick your legs to propel yourself out of the water. Once out, crawl to safety
• If you witness someone on thin ice who needs help. Call 911. Do not approach the area. You can extend your reach by using a pole or rope to try and pull the person to safety
• Remember other factors that can lead to weak ice: temperature fluctuations, cracks, moving water, and storm sewers bringing salt from nearby roads.