By Bob Humphrey

The heart of winter is here and many folks in northern states will be venturing out onto the ice to ice fish and ride snowmobiles, ATVs and Side-by-Side vehicles.  What follows are a few safety tips whether you’re venturing out on the ice on foot or (especially) on or in a vehicle.

• Avoid areas with currents such as stream or river inlets and outlets.  Moving water often means thin ice. 
• Avoid areas around bridges and pressure ridges as ice may be thin or absent here as well.
• Avoid shoreline areas if ice is cracked or spongy, or any areas of thin, clear, honeycombed or dark ice, all of which can be signs of weak spots.

• Check ice thickness before venturing far from shore.  Use your ice auger or some other device to make a test hole and determine thickness.  Continue testing as you make your way out onto the lake.
• Never check the ice alone.  For that matter, never venture out on the ice alone, period.  Make sure you have a partner, so there is someone there to help if necessary.

• Follow established trails.  Traditional routes are usually established on the safest areas. 
• Take along ropes and personal flotation devices.

Hopefully you never will, but if you should break through the ice...

• Don’t panic.  Once the initial shock of ice-cold water passes, try to calm yourself. 
• Reach for solid ice.
• Lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard to help lift your body onto the ice.
• Once on the ice, roll, DON’T WALK, to safety.

• To help someone who has fallen through the ice, lie down flat and reach with a branch, plank or rope or form a human chain.  Don’t stand. After securing the victim, wiggle backwards to the solid ice.

(Some information provided courtesy of the Maine Warden Service.)