EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Despite freezing temperatures, Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids remains mostly open water. Safety officials to warn residents about dangerous ice conditions.
The lake had frozen solid enough for ice fishing and dog walking just weeks ago but has since thawed. Weather forecasts show below-freezing temperatures for most of the week, but officials say ice conditions will remain unpredictable and unsafe.
"The idea of being able to pull yourself out of a hole, if you've been, you know, in freezing water for five or ten minutes, is going to be extremely difficult," said Troy Brown, school and community liaison officer for the East Grand Rapids Department of Public Safety.
Why Ice Can Be Deceiving
Brown explained that ice can appear solid while remaining dangerously thin underneath. Safe areas with four inches of ice can be just 50 feet away from sections that won't support weight.
"It can look like solid ice just because there's a layer of ice on top of the water, that doesn't mean necessarily that it's thick underneath," Brown said. "It just, it's so unknown. That's the dangerous part."
Variable weather conditions create particular hazards, with sunny areas having weaker ice than shaded sections.
Ice Testing and Community Resources
For serious ice fishermen, Brown says that fishermen recommend testing ice thickness every 15 feet while walking out onto the lake. Safe ice fishing requires at least four inches of solid ice.
"Most of the fishermen we see out out there do a pretty good job of testing the ice as they as they head out," Brown said.
The department often communicates with local ice fishermen to assess current conditions and provides guidance to residents who call with questions about ice safety.
Critical Safety Advice
Brown's primary advice: "Don't do it. That's the first, that's the first one. And I'm serious when I say that, if you even question whether it's safe to be out on that ice, just don't do it."
Depending on how long someone is in freezing water, hypothermia can kick in, causing loss of muscle control and strength. Heavy winter clothing becomes waterlogged and extremely difficult to manage, making it much harder to pull yourself out of the water.
For those who do venture onto ice, Brown recommends:
• Test thickness every 10-15 feet
• Carry ice spikes and flotation gear
• Never go alone
• Always carry a cell phone
• Wait for several consecutive days of below-freezing weather until the ice is at least four inches
Department Offers Guidance
For residents who want to verify ice safety when the lake appears frozen, Brown encourages them to contact the East Grand Rapids Department of Public Safety.
"Give us a call. Ask us we're here every day so we see it," Brown said. "We try to give them forewarning that, you know, if we don't think it's safe, that hopefully they follow what we say and they don't go out."
Brown's final message to the community: "Just be safe about the lake. There's a lot of things that can happen if they're if they're not doing all the right things. It's not just something that you should just leisurely walk out on, you know, because it looks fun."
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