With Borderland’s lakes and rivers forming a thin layer of ice as temperatures begin to drop, Koochiching County Sheriff Brian Youso reminds people to use caution.
Youso points to a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources release, which asks when is ice safe?
According to the DNR, the strength of ice cannot be judged by its appearance, age, thickness, temperature, or whether it is covered with snow. Strength is based on all these factors, plus the depth of water under the ice, size of the water body, water chemistry and currents, the distribution of the load on the ice, and local climatic conditions.
There is no such thing as 100 percent safe ice, according to the DNR.
The DNR gives the following recommendations for traveling on new, clear ice:
• 2 inches or less — STAY OFF.
• 4 inches — ice fishing or other activities on foot.
• 5 inches — snowmobile or ATV.
• 8-12 inches — car or small pickup.
• 12-15 inches — medium truck.
These thicknesses are merely guidelines for new, clear, solid ice. Many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe.
The DNR offers the following guidelines to help make wise choices about traveling on ice:
• Check for known thin ice areas with a local resort or bait shop.
• Test the thickness yourself using an ice chisel, ice auger or even a cordless 1/4 inch drill with a long bit.
• Refrain from driving on ice whenever possible.
• If you must drive a vehicle, be prepared to leave it in a hurry; keep windows down, unbuckle your seat belt and have a simple emergency plan of action you have discussed with your passengers.
• Stay away from alcoholic beverages. Even "just a couple of beers” are enough to cause a careless error in judgment that could cost you your life. And contrary to common belief, alcohol actually makes you colder rather than warming you up.
• Don't “overdrive” your snowmobile's headlight. At even 30 miles per hour, it can take a much longer distance to stop on ice than your headlight shines. Many fatal snowmobile through-the-ice accidents occur because the machine was traveling too fast for the operator to stop when the headlamp illuminated the hole in the ice.
• Wear a life vest under your winter gear. Or wear one of the new flotation snowmobile suits. And it's a good idea to carry a pair of ice picks that may be home made or purchased from most well stocked sporting goods stores that cater to winter anglers. It's amazing how difficult it can be to pull yourself back onto the surface of unbroken but wet and slippery ice while wearing a snowmobile suit weighted down with 60 pounds of water. The ice picks really help pulling yourself back onto solid ice.
The DNR cautions people not to wear a flotation device when traveling across the ice in an enclosed vehicle.