Falling Through Ice- Self Rescue

http://www.exn.ca/video/?Video=exn20020325-icewater.asx

Just last week I feel through ice in a swamp. Yuck- I was mucky. I knew it
wasn't life threatening, but I think that as I was all tied up with my skis
every which way and I had NNN BC bindings/boots. Not real flexible, so
there'd be no way to get them off as I was laying in the muck. I could have
drowned if I was face down. Anyway I was with folks, and we had extra
clothes and a thermos so we continued our tour.

But about ten years ago I fell through the ice in the middle of a lake late
at night with no one around. Skate skis this time.

The attached instructional video says to take your skis off. (What? Lose a
pair of skis?) I didn't do that, and I didn't think I had time to spare, and
my head went under the water, which the video says isn't so hot.

I pulled my knees to my chest and pushed down on my skis as I grabbed and
later rolled on to the ice. Then I skied as fast as I could to the sauna.

Regarding the swamp incident- we surmised that the biological activity of
the swamp warmed it up. It was a day that ice fishers were on near by lakes.

Gary Jacobson
Rosendale, NY

Or http://www.exn.ca/news/video/exn2002...5-icewater.asx
works for me without the ads...

Gary Jacobson wrote:
http://www.exn.ca/video/?Video=exn20020325-icewater.asx

Just last week I feel through ice in a swamp. Yuck- I was mucky. I knew it
wasn't life threatening, but I think that as I was all tied up with my skis
every which way and I had NNN BC bindings/boots. Not real flexible, so
there'd be no way to get them off as I was laying in the muck. I could have
drowned if I was face down. Anyway I was with folks, and we had extra
clothes and a thermos so we continued our tour.

But about ten years ago I fell through the ice in the middle of a lake late
at night with no one around. Skate skis this time.

The attached instructional video says to take your skis off. (What? Lose a
pair of skis?) I didn't do that, and I didn't think I had time to spare, and
my head went under the water, which the video says isn't so hot.

I pulled my knees to my chest and pushed down on my skis as I grabbed and
later rolled on to the ice. Then I skied as fast as I could to the sauna.

Regarding the swamp incident- we surmised that the biological activity of
the swamp warmed it up. It was a day that ice fishers were on near by lakes.

Gary Jacobson
Rosendale, NY

Mark wrote:
Or http://www.exn.ca/news/video/exn2002...5-icewater.asx
works for me without the ads...

Gary Jacobson wrote:

http://www.exn.ca/video/?Video=exn20020325-icewater.asx

Just last week I feel through ice in a swamp. Yuck- I was mucky. I
knew it
wasn't life threatening, but I think that as I was all tied up with my
skis
every which way and I had NNN BC bindings/boots. Not real flexible, so
there'd be no way to get them off as I was laying in the muck. I could
have
drowned if I was face down. Anyway I was with folks, and we had extra
clothes and a thermos so we continued our tour.

But about ten years ago I fell through the ice in the middle of a lake
late
at night with no one around. Skate skis this time.

The attached instructional video says to take your skis off. (What?
Lose a
pair of skis?) I didn't do that, and I didn't think I had time to
spare, and
my head went under the water, which the video says isn't so hot.

I pulled my knees to my chest and pushed down on my skis as I grabbed and
later rolled on to the ice. Then I skied as fast as I could to the sauna.

Regarding the swamp incident- we surmised that the biological activity of
the swamp warmed it up. It was a day that ice fishers were on near by
lakes.

Gary Jacobson
Rosendale, NY


Excellent video! thanks,
gr

On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 00:22:40 GMT, "Gary Jacobson"
wrote:


http://www.exn.ca/video/?Video=exn20020325-icewater.asx

Just last week I feel through ice in a swamp. Yuck- I was mucky. I knew it
wasn't life threatening, but I think that as I was all tied up with my skis
every which way and I had NNN BC bindings/boots. Not real flexible, so
there'd be no way to get them off as I was laying in the muck. I could have
drowned if I was face down. Anyway I was with folks, and we had extra
clothes and a thermos so we continued our tour.

But about ten years ago I fell through the ice in the middle of a lake late
at night with no one around. Skate skis this time.

The attached instructional video says to take your skis off. (What? Lose a
pair of skis?) I didn't do that, and I didn't think I had time to spare, and
my head went under the water, which the video says isn't so hot.

I pulled my knees to my chest and pushed down on my skis as I grabbed and
later rolled on to the ice. Then I skied as fast as I could to the sauna.

Regarding the swamp incident- we surmised that the biological activity of
the swamp warmed it up. It was a day that ice fishers were on near by lakes.

Gary Jacobson
Rosendale, NY


I would think that the skis offer more floatation and make it easier to float
the body. Also, a very important point he did not mention ( I watched the vid.
until he was shivering in the truck) is the use of the ski poles as ice spikes
to help pull oneself out.

When I fell into a trench last year at HighPoint park, NJ, maybe it was because
I was wearing a gortex suit but I did not experience any shock from hitting the
water. I was more embarrased than anything else. Come to think of it, do those
Sauna to ice water bathers experience shock?

Ben

Come to think of it, do those
Sauna to ice water bathers experience shock?

Ben

The sauna to ice water routine is like speedballing (heroin and cocaine) I'd
think.

I find that once out of the ice water I am very comfortable- it's the time
between sauna and jumping in that is hard for me.

I think once the skin pores close and blood is shunted there is a sensation
of warmth that lasts for a while.

Sauna to rolling in snow is sort of tough, as is sauna to cold room. ( I've
been in saunas where there's no water to jump into, so instead there's a
cold room with reindeer pelts that you sort of hang around on.) I like the
ice water. It's quick and you move on to the comfortable stage more
decisively.

Gary Jacobson
Rosendale, NY

Thanks for those videos.

JFT

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http://www.exn.ca/video/?Video=exn20020325-icewater.asx

Just last week I feel through ice in a swamp. Yuck- I was mucky.

Yuck - glad you're OK.

I fell thru ice when I was maybe 8 years old. I was the bold one that
went out ahead of the others to 'look for thin ice'. Needless to say,
I found it. No skis, just the 5+ layers of heavy cotton that were
standard kid issue in the early 60's. I don't clearly recall how I
got out - panic and clawing, I guess, but I was out before the others
made it to my side. Temps there were typically in the teens (F).

The nearest house was maybe a mile away. My heavy, thick, wet clothes
were pretty much frozen solid, and walking was way hard. The mom at
the house put me into the bathtub and added hot water - there was no
way those frozen clothes would come off quickly. No lasting damage -
just an interesting memory.

Erik Brooks,
Seattle