The message from the OPP remains the same: no ice is safe.
“We have received several complaints from members of the public over the last few weeks about people being out on the ice in areas where they don’t feel it’s safe,” Bracebridge OPP Constable Samantha Bigley tells the MyHaliburtonNow.com newsroom.
Haliburton Highlands Detachment Commander Liane Spong says they have only responded to one call of a snowmobile going through the ice this winter. She adds they have had to respond to other calls from residents concerned about the safety of someone who was walking on ice.
“Generally people are concerned about safety,” Bigley says on the people who call police about someone walking on ice. She says they have gotten calls from residents thinking someone fell through the ice as well. Thankfully though, local police have not responded to a call of someone falling through the ice this winter.
She says “by and large” people have gotten the message, but there are still some that think it’s worth it to venture out onto open water. “There have been pictures posted to social media of people walking dangerously close to open water,” Bigley adds. She says that the condition of ice can be unpredictable, which is why they say it’s always better to err on the side of caution and stay off of it.
“If you do think someone has gone through the ice call 911,” Bigley says. “Not just police, but our local fire departments and paramedics are very well equipped for an ice rescue.”
When you call, she says to have information on where you last saw the person, the condition of the ice and the weather.