Here in Colorado, we know all too well the dangers of thin ice.  We lost two teen boys from Parker just weeks ago, when they fell through ice in a retaining pond.  As the spring thaw begins, the danger will grow.  And the first thing experts say we need to fear is the cold – not the water itself.

“Given the Colorado one day it could be 50 degrees, you don’t know – you see the ice, but it’s not safe to go out on,” advised Dan Ribis of South Metro Fire Rescue

Even a few inches of ice can be unsafe in our wild Colorado weather.  If you fall in, the first step is simply to breathe.

“The initial shock of the cold water is going to take your breath away,” Ribis said.  You’ll gasp for breathe, and likely hyperventilate.   Give yourself a minute to regulate your breath, then find the hole in the ice and pull yourself up as far as you can.  Kick and pull to see if you have enough strength to escape.  If you can, roll back the way you came.  Remember, the ice is thin, so you don’t want to walk on it again.  If, after two to five minutes, you still can’t get out, Ribis told us to stay put and hope your coat sleeves freeze to the ice, keeping your head above water.

Next, the key is to conserve energy.  Don’t waste your breath, and cross your legs to hold in heat.  In many cases, you have more time than you think, even if hypothermia sets in.  It all depends on the water temperature and your own personal health.

These steps can help you survive – but not as well as heeding on simple warning from Ribis:

“Stay off the ice.  It’s not worth it.”