Many brave souls venture out onto Maine’s lakes and ponds in the winter, whether to skate, play hockey, go fishing, ride a snowmobile or just go walking.
For those who do, it’s imperative to be aware of the surroundings and avoid becoming a cautionary tale about the danger of thin or patchy ice. Every winter, there are harrowing examples of people in Maine and elsewhere who have broken through the ice, sometimes with deadly results.
That’s why Josh Gerritsen, a Rockport-based documentary filmmaker and an avid ice skater on Maine ponds, recently took it upon himself to coach a small group of onlookers how to safely escape the water when it’s mostly frozen over, should they ever fall through.
Generally speaking, experts warn that it’s best to avoid falling through the ice in the first place, by assessing its strength, depth and density; knowing how to identify weak points; and avoiding going solo, according to the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
The ice should be at least four inches thick. Its color can provide some clues about its safety — with blue and clear suggesting high density and strength — but authorities say it’s essential to use an auger, chisel or axe to verify the thickness. It’s also helpful to know of any inlets, bridges or other hazards that can compromise the ice.
But if you or someone you’re with does end up falling through, there are some general principles to follow.
If you’re still on the ice, you can take measures to help the victim, including shouting encouragement, extending an object such as a rope or ladder for them to grab or wrap around themself, use a boat to assist and go seek professional help, according to in-depth instructions from IF&W on this “preach, reach, throw, row, go” method.
Meanwhile, if you’re the one who goes in, it is imperative to stay calm and not try to simply climb out, as that can break more ice. You should spread your arms out on the unbroken ice and kick hard to lift your body onto it, so you can then roll to safety.
In his demonstration near a boat launch at Megunticook Lake in Camden, Gerritsen wore ice skates, a dry suit and a life jacket, and he deliberately went into the ice a few times to demonstrate different ways of doing this.
He did one escape on his own, using handheld tools called ice picks. He did another with a rope that was tethered to a clip on his life jacket and pulled by another person, who was standing on solid ice. Then he did a third after being tossed the same rope from a distance.
Gerritsen noted his dry suit and life jacket helped give him buoyancy, in addition to insulation, making them useful safety measures that skaters and other recreationalists can wear on the ice. He also noted that it can be useful to wear a helmet and carry your own ice picks — or “ice claws,” as he referred to them — and he echoed the guidance to never venture out alone.
“The main reason I do this is … I want people to feel a little more empowered and not just scared,” Gerritsen said. “Knowledge is power, and when you know how to read the ice, how to measure the ice, how to be careful and to always have the safety tools, it takes away that irrational fear. I think it’s good to have a healthy fear of the ice.”
The demonstration was Gerritsen’s first time trying to pull himself out of a frozen pond. He said that he wanted to educate himself how to do the self-rescues so he could feel more comfortable skating on frozen waterways. He taught himself on it thoroughly, with help from a fellow skater, Jory Squibb, who writes an educational email newsletter after an accident of his own, when he fell through the ice and nearly died.
“Most of the emails say, ‘I did it, it was safe, but still be careful and be aware of the ice,’” Gerritsen said.
