If the victim is compliant and coherent but simply can't get out of the hole, progress to reaching or throwing. This result would immediately progress towards a "go" rescue. If they are mentally or physically diminished, hypothermia has already set in and they will continue to decline rapidly. This will equalize the victim's load on the ice edge as much as possible and allow them to escape without point loading the ice and making a new hole or simply expanding the existing hole.ĭuring the self-rescue coaching, closely evaluate the victim's ability to comprehend and comply. The victim has to get their waist to come up in the water and pull with their arms to get their chest on the ice edge. If it is cold enough, their wet arms will freeze to the ice, which may hold them if the rescue is prolonged and they can't stay above the surface on their own. This extends the victim's arms out of the hole and onto the ice surface.
If the victim appears responsive and capable, coach them through self-rescue. Self-rescue optionsĪssessing the victim should involve the first two or three applications in the rescue sequence. This can be as simple as a rescue sled or swim board or as elaborate as an airboat or hovercraft. If the ice is unstable and has floating and slushy segments, immediately call for an inflatable platform from which we can launch a rescue. All other surfaces are unknown until walked. This is the most reliable path to the victim because it has already been traveled and supported their weight. When assessing the ice, we are primarily evaluating the path that the victim traveled before falling through. If we can't locate the victim, we are looking for the hole in the ice, any tracks on the ice surface and any competent witness. When we analyze this scene, we are trying to identify the victim, the victim's condition, any hazards present and the condition of the ice. This would include some very experienced and certified rescue swimmers, standby ice divers, water crafts, down-river rescuers, breach points in the ice and a very savable victim. I am a strong proponent of stating that a "go" rescue should never be performed on ice in which the water current is flowing greater than 1 knot without having some extraordinary conditions and precautions in place. To avoid getting too in-depth about swift water environments, we'll focus on ice rescue on static or slow-moving current. Rescuers should be qualified and trained to perform the task they are preparing to undertake.
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