News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Jon Collins, 612-919-5918
December 9, 2016 (MINNEAPOLIS) – The Hennepin
County Sheriff’s Office is urging people to stay off all bodies of water due to
several areas of open water and/or thin ice.
Due to a
warm fall, ice is still forming on many bodies of water throughout the County, and
ice thickness can vary greatly throughout a single body of water. Several smaller
bodies of water may appear to have a safe ice thickness, however they should
still be considered unsafe even to walk on.
“I know many
people are excited to enjoy our frozen lakes and rivers for fishing or ice
skating, but going out on the ice right now would be a life-threatening risk,”
said Hennepin County Sheriff Rich Stanek. “This time of year it is also
especially important to watch young children and pets when near water and thin
ice.”
Parents and
caregivers should teach children to stay away from thin ice and they should
closely supervise children when they are near any body of water including
lakes, rivers and ponds. Animal owners should keep their pet on a leash this time
of year, and remember not to put their safety in jeopardy by walking on thin
ice to retrieve a pet.
No amount of
ice is ever considered 100% safe. Four inches of ice is the recommended minimum
thickness for walking and small group activities on ice. You are urged to take the
following safety precautions:
- Never walk, snowmobile, or use an ATV on a
channel. Check the ice thickness prior to attempting recreational activities.
- Do not venture onto the ice at night.
- Wear a life jacket.
- Keep your dog on a leash so that it doesn’t
wander onto thin ice. You should not put your safety in jeopardy by following a
dog onto thin ice.
- Carry safety gear such as ice picks and a rope
to throw to someone who falls through the ice.
For more
information about ice safety, the Minnesota DNR has tips online at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/safety/ice.
- HCSO -
 Hennepin County Sheriff's deputies prepare to mark thin ice near all Lake Minnetonka access points
Look for more news on
the Hennepin County Sheriff's website at http://www.hennepinsheriff.org.
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