Thin Ice Warning

November 27, 2007
RadioBite Script

Thin Ice Warning

Track: The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is warning winter outdoor enthusiasts to stay off any ice less than four inches thick - which is pretty rare in much of the state at this time of year.

Over the weekend, an angler fell through about two inches of ice on Coon Lake, north of the Twin Cities, but was rescued shortly after he went in.

DNR water safety specialist Tim Smalley says he checked with state conservation officers today and no one reported ice that was consistently walkable, even as far north as International Falls.

RadioBite #114
:19 seconds Tim Smalley, DNR water safety specialist

"And parents should also warn their kids to stay off the thin ice that is forming right now. Every year, we receive reports of children falling through the ice and drowning and it’s just so incredibly tragic. Kids are attracted to ice like a magnet, and they just don’t have the knowledge of how much ice it takes to support a person or the understanding of what is or isn’t safe."

Track: DNR records show that in the last ten years, 52 people have died falling through the ice in Minnesota and 21 percent of those accidents involved children under nine years old.

To get a free packet of ice safety information, call the DNR information center at 1-888-646-6367.