Firefighters prepare for ice rescue season

MOSES LAKE — As Moses Lake freezes over, it becomes tempting for people to use the ice for recreation.

Due to the high interest in the frozen lake, the Moses Lake Fire Department trains annually for potential ice rescues.

Tuesday, fire department personnel went to the Peninsula Boat Launch to practice rescue techniques and to test equipment that had be stored for most of the year.

They tested the equipment to ensure it was still functional and practiced rescuing each other to make sure they are prepared in case of an emergency and to resolve any glitches.

Firefighters went out onto the ice, not more than 30 feet from shore and broke through the unsteady ice where they waited submerged in freezing water for rescue. Each firefighter acting as a victim and a rescuer wore rescue suits to protect themselves from hypothermia.

When someone falls through the ice, they experience one to two minutes of shock, according to the fire department. Once the panic subsides, the person usually has three to five minutes of strength left to pull themselves out of the water.

Depending on the size of the person, they can last between 10 to 40 minutes, the fire department advised.

Each year the fire department warns citizens to stay off the ice because it can easily become unstable, leading to a potential drowning.

Tips from the Moses Lake Fire Department:

• Stay off the ice

• If you go on the ice, wear a bright vest with buoyancy

• Do not enter the lake or go onto the ice to rescue someone who falls through, call 9-1-1 instead

• Throw a stick or a rope to the victim and try to pull them to shore without entering the lake.

• Remember, if the lake is thawed partially at any point, it becomes brittle.