FAIRMONT- The beginning of winter brings with it the beginning of recreation opportunities on Fairmont’s frozen lakes and the risk of falling through. Adam Wells is a deputy with the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, one of the organizations responsible for the safety of people on area lakes, who also ice fishes himself. He shared some important safety tips for people heading out on the ice this winter.

While lakes in town have already begun to freeze over, Wells has yet to go out on the ice this year and doesn’t plan on doing so until the area sees a prolonged period of subzero temperatures.

“I don’t think (it’s) worth risking my life, a fireman’s life, or somebody who needs to rescue you over a fish,” said Wells.

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources advises people not to venture out onto the ice unless it is at least four inches thick. Snowmobiles require at least five inches of ice, small cars or trucks require eight to 12 inches and medium trucks will require 12 to 15 inches. These guidelines only apply to newly formed clear ice; while four inches of fresh ice could safely support a person, a foot of partially thawed older ice may not.

The state also emphasizes there is no way to guarantee whether or not ice is safe and strongly encourages those who venture onto the ice to be prepared to fall through.

Ice rarely freezes uniformly; while ice can be a foot thick in one location it can be much thinner just a few feet away. Ice is much more thin in areas where water currents make it more difficult to freeze. In the Fairmont chain of lakes these currents can be found in and around the channels which connect the lakes to each other, in areas on the west sides of Hall Lake and George Lake where water is fed in from streams, and in areas where storm drains feed into the system.

Numerous pieces of equipment can make traveling on ice dramatically safer. People traveling on ice should wear some kind of buoyancy device such as a life jacket or a flotation suit. Additionally, people on ice should also carry with them an ice pick or two large nails that are always accessible. In the event of falling through the ice these can be used to firmly grip the ice and pull oneself out. Other useful equipment can include ice cleats to prevent falls, throw ropes to pull out other people who’ve fallen through, and a metal rod, pry bar, or ice spud which can be used to test the durability of the ice before it’s walked on.

“If you’re going to be walking out (with) a spud bar and you hit the ice (one time) and it goes through, back up. That’s not safe,” said Wells.

Children who go out onto the ice should only do so in areas where ice has been checked by an adult and where they can be supervised. People in vehicles should drive with their windows rolled down and their doors unlocked. Driving at high speeds can be dramatically unsafe because of the lower surface friction.

If someone on the ice hears or sees the ice cracking they should immediately spread out their weight across the ice and go back the way that they came. In the event one falls through the ice, they need to immediately focus on controlling their breathing and avoiding panic.

“It’s going to be a shock because that water’s going to be cold, … it’s going to be tough for people and it would probably be tough for me, but you need to realize ‘I need to stay calm,'” said Wells.

After one is aware of their surroundings they should turn towards the direction they came and use their ice pick to pull themselves out of the water while kicking their feet. Do not discard winter clothing because it can contain pockets of air which can make one more buoyant. Once out of the water people should not stand up and instead roll in the direction they arrived in.