Ice rescue

Saturday we headed back out to the Glacier visitor center for a lecture and demonstration on ice rescues. Our favorite naturalist at the Glacier told us that every weekend someone falls through the ice on the lake. The fire department was on hand to provide a lecture, video and DEMONSTRATION! They discussed all cold water immersions and it reminded my fall through the ice sheet on the muskeg. The main points were these: 1) If you go through the ice, turn around and try to get out from the side you came in - 'cause you were just walking on it. 2)Don't panic. The gasp reflex will make you breathe as if you are hyperventalating, your breathing will return to normal in 1 - 2 minutes. 3) Put your arms on the ice and kick with your feet to push yourself up. 4) Roll when you get back on the ice. Then crawl to distribute your weight. 5) If assisting others: call 911, reach to them with a stick, ladder, shovel, etc.; if that fails,throw something with inflation to them (i.e. spare tire, sled). 6) consider buying or making ice awls for a self-rescue if you often walk or bike on ice. We then trouped outside to see the rescue demonstrations in a pond that had had a hole cut with a chainsaw. The firefighter showed us three different rescues: self-rescue with ice awls, rescue with inflation sled, and firefighter rescue of unresponsive victim. photos here: http://www.adn.com/2014/01/14/3272982/alaskans-shown-what-to-do-if-they.html