On Thin Ice

"Experts say you should never go out onto the ice alone," Koeppen says. "And you can't count on rescue workers to save you. It can be very dangerous for them to try to get you and many fire departments don't have the training or equipment for ice rescues."

John Harsch was a champion dog breeder who loved to take walks at this pond near his home in Cape Cod, Mass. But on a cold march morning in 2005, the serenity of that peaceful setting was shattered. Two 911 calls followed a short time later:

"A guy went through the ice."

"It sounded like they were yelling help, help me."

"It's cold and you are trying to save yourself and the two dogs all at the same time," says John's sister, Diane Gerke. "And that's when he started to cry out for help."

But rescuers didn't reach Harsch in time. Though his dogs survived, John was pronounced dead at the hospital.

"It was such an unbelievable shock it's the only way to describe it," said John's brother, David Harsch.

When someone falls through the ice, it is a race against time. Victims can suffer from hypothermia within minutes, but there are steps you can take to save yourself.

If you fell in, would you know what to do? We're about to show you.

At an ice rescue training course in New Hampshire, I suited up in protective gear," Koeppen said, "and worked my way out onto a frozen pond with water safety expert Gerry Dworkin by my side."

"This is not safe ice, we could go through at any moment," Dworkin said.

That wasn't a joke. Dworkin says that no ice is safe ice. It can be fine in one spot, and open up like a trap door in another.

"Oh my gosh," Koeppen said as she slid into the ice for a demonstration.

Dworkin says once you fall in you need to act fast and try to get out. Easier said than done.

"There's nothing to hang onto. I'm struggling. I can't get out," Koeppen said.

"If you had gloves that you could remove you could actually take them off and hopefully the skin is going to stick to the ice and keep you there," Dworkin said.

Kick your feet. Try to get your body horizontal and swim up onto the ice. If that doesn't work, call for help. Getting help fast is crucial.

"Within 10 minutes, 15 minutes you are going to be so hypothermic you are not going to be able to assist yourself in anyway shape or form," Dworkin said.

You can conserve body heat by tucking your arms and legs close to your body — and keep your coat on, it will provide insulation.

Dworkin says anyone who ventures onto the ice should carry a plastic whistle to signal for help. It will be louder than your voice. And you should always carry a pair of ice picks.

"I was able to pull myself out of the icy water in a matter of seconds," Koeppen said. "Once out, stay on your belly and roll away from the edge."

If you see someone fall through the ice, only attempt a rescue from the safety of the shore.

Items in your home such as a boogey board or a ladder can be pushed out onto the ice toward the victim, and simple things in your car — a spare tire or jumper cables — can be used to save someone.

"If you can extend your reach from shore using a ladder, a tree limb, jumper cables, anything like that would be better than going out onto the ice and putting your self in jeopardy and the victim as well," Dworkin said.

John Harsch was out too far to be rescued from shore, but his family hopes his story will help teach others about the danger of being on the ice and the importance of knowing what to do if you fall in.

"It's something I am constantly reminded of and constantly thinking of. I just hope we can make something positive of this," David Harsch said.

"And if you want to do something fun like go skating with the kids," Koeppen said, "make sure you your on a shallow body of water so if you do fall in, you would not be over your head."