Even though emergency crews in southeastern Manitoba are trained for water and ice rescue, Taché Fire Chief Allan Rau says they would rather not have situations arise where their training is needed.
He notes that the warmer weather has caused ice conditions to become unstable and unsafe.
“We noticed that while we were doing some ground patrols, that in some areas, there was a hollow spot between the top ice layer and the lower layer. So, we actually fell through, not into water, but we fell through the top layer of ice, so I'm pretty sure that that's the same for any water body in the area at the moment.”
Rau says he noticed several fire departments and communities in the Eastman region are drawing attention to poor ice conditions, urging people to stay off the ice.
On March 20, firefighters at the Ste. Geneviève Station practiced water rescue/ice rescue procedures. All members present had the opportunity to don and doff the Mustang suits and personal flotation devices. These suits provide flotation and in-water insulation to delay the onset of hypothermia in the event of water immersion.
Although Taché Fire Department trains for water/ice rescue, please keep off the ice especially as temperatures rise this weekend. For your own safety, please be cautious about going on any frozen water as the ice may be thin, inconsistent, and unsafe. - Facebook.com/TacheFire
Sat, Apr 27, 5:30 PM
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