W. MI ice still too thin for recreation

EAST GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Though it might be cold enough outside to think West Michigan lakes are frozen solid, at least twice Tuesday people fell through thin ice into freezing water. 24 Hour News 8 learned what to watch out for to stay safe while on the ice.  

Jason Tyrell and his family leave sunny California each year to visit family in West Michigan. One of the usual highlights of the trip for his family is ice skating on Reeds Lake in East Grand Rapids.  

"They look forward to it, but this year it's not looking good," he said.

That is because Reeds Lake isn't completely frozen over and the ice that has formed is too thin for recreation.

"It's only about an inch or two, a couple inches thick," explained East Grand Rapids Department of Public Safety Officer Jason Bradley. "You want at least six inches before you walk out there."

Some people overestimate the thickness of ice, assuming it's strong enough to hold them. But even if the ice is thick enough to hold a person's weight in one spot, they could fall through as they move to spot with slightly thinner ice.

It's impossible to tell how thick the ice is simply by looking at it.

Misjudgment of thickness may have been what happened earlier this week when two people fell through ice. 

In one case in Kent County, the man who fell through was in the water for about 15 minutes and said he couldn't feel his legs by the time the firefighters arrived to pull him out. The Grattan Township Fire Chief told 24 Hour News 8 the man could have died had his neighbors not seen him fall into the ice and responded quickly to help.

Also Tuesday, Detroit-area divers found the body of an ice fisherman who disappeared Monday.

The East Grand Rapids Department of Public Safety says those looking to skate or fish should see if there is any open water on the lake that hasn't yet frozen. If there is, it's a bad sign for safety.  

They also say it's important to test a few spots to make sure the ice is thick enough before heading out -- and to carry some kind of an ice pick so that you can pull yourself out if you do fall in.

"If you're fighting and fighting and realize you're not going to get out of the water for five to 10 minutes, just stop and conserve your energy, try to get as much of your body up out of the water as possible and just call for help. Wait for help," Bradley said.

And, he said, it's better to prepare for the worst before it happens. He said you're 80% more likely to survive a fall into frigid water if you're wearing a life jacket when you fall in.

"You're more likely to survive something like that if you prepare ahead of time," said Bradley. "If you go out there boating, you're always prepared. You have life jackets on the boat. If you have a life jacket on while you're ice fishing, you're going to stay afloat a lot better."

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Ice safety tips from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources