Despite record cold, Vancouver’s ponds not safe to skate on: Park Board
Posted December 29, 2021 6:00 am.
Last Updated December 29, 2021 6:11 am.
It may be icy out there, but it’s still not safe for a game of shinny on local ponds in Vancouver.
That’s the message from the Vancouver Park Board which has placed signs up around Trout Lake, Lost Lagoon, and Jericho Ponds warning people of the dangers of thin ice.
The board says even though it looks like the ice is thick, the risk of falling through any body of water is too great.
Dog owners are urged to keep their pets on leash near the ponds and lakes so their animals don’t run out onto the ice.
If you fall through the ice:
- Yell for help
- Reach and grab onto the ice
- Kick hard and push your stomach onto the ice
- Roll like a log on the ice
- Do not get up to walk to shore
- If you can’t get yourself out, hang onto the ice and keep yelling until help comes
If you see someone fall through the ice:
- Call 911, do not attempt to rescue them yourself
- Yell out the self rescue steps to the person
- Continue watching and talking to the person until helps arrives
Coastal B.C. has been under an arctic ridge of pressure in recent days, bringing strong and cold outflow winds.
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On Monday, nearly a dozen communities broke records for low temperatures, including Vancouver which felt like -20 C, well below the seasonal average.
