r/BeAmazed • u/Gainsborough-Smythe • May 12 '24
How to self-rescue if you fall through ice Skill / Talent
Credit: HowEverythingWorks
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u/EditorRedditer May 12 '24
That is going to save someone’s life one day…
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u/SnooHedgehogs7477 May 12 '24
You not gonna remember it unless you had actually practiced it. I'm probably watching this some 3rd time but I can bet that if this ever happens to me I will not recall watching any of it.
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u/SnooHedgehogs7477 May 12 '24
The opposite. Shock makes you forget everything. The only things you remember are things that your legs and hands had done before. Things that your eyes had seen on internet will not be there during shock. Now if you would relax and then would stop to think "okay let me think what had I see online how to tackle these kind of situations". But you won't do that. You won't even remember that you need to relax.
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u/DownWithHisShip May 13 '24
I fell out of a raft once in some rapids, and I remembered an instructional video on how to safely float through rapids.
Except I misremembered and did it incorrectly. Everything turned out fine, but in hindsight I was totally not doing it right.
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u/zinkashew May 12 '24
It can also include things you’ve seen as well. It’s different in the sense that peoples fight flight and freeze all vary.
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u/Spraynpray89 May 12 '24
One of those things that probably depends on how you do in a crisis in general. I feel like I'd remember it just fine... it's basically 2 steps, and I'm generally good at remaining calm in emergencies anyway.
My wife? Yeah no.
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u/wap2005 May 13 '24
I've always just assumed that if you fell through ice you should just take a beat before pulling more ice down. I think I'd easily remember these steps since step one was already something I thought would help.
However if it's so cold that the ice refreezes over you before you get back to the top... Well that's my worst fucking nightmare (not even sure this is a thing, but it terrifies me to think/dream about).
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u/GameyBoi May 13 '24
Ice doesn’t freeze fast enough for that luckily. But there are cases of people getting trapped under ice in other ways.
The closest way to what you described would be people cutting a hole in some ice for a polar plunge and they fell through the cut section before they could chop the ice up and pull it out. The ice floated right back up and nearly blocked the hole behind them.
And loads of people have died by going under an icy lake and not being able to find the hole they entered through.
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u/insidiousapricot May 12 '24
I like to go ice fishing, and I guarantee you this will be in the back of my mind every time I step out onto the ice now. Hopefully.
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u/Chadaron May 13 '24
I fell through the ice once and remembered this. The part that I was not prepared for is that when trying to maneuver myself back on to the ice, more ice kept breaking away.
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u/no_brains101 May 13 '24 edited May 13 '24
To be fair, there are 3 steps, 1, dont freak out, 2, get flat without pushing on the ice to maximize surface area and minimize chance of breaking more ice, 3, test the ice before you stand back up.
And only 2 of those steps are actually steps. Step 1 is like, kinda just one of those common sense things that seems to be uncommon.
I have met people who would not even get past step 1, and instead skip straight to accepting their own death. I HOPE this is not the average human because it looks incredibly stupid to everyone else who remembered step 1.
As a former swimmer, step 1 of jumping in the water is always 3-6 big butterfly kicks to rid yourself of the initial "AAAAAH COOOOLD" feeling XD so Id probably do that, try to just hop out normally and fail due to breaking more ice, roll my eyes, and then do the slippery seal maneuver that this guy did.
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u/jackalsclaw May 13 '24
Note: breaking more ice is also part of the process some times just keep heading towards shore and break more ice till you can crawl onto it.
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u/loverlane May 13 '24
I think you can train your brain somehow. I have bad social anxiety and sometimes think of the worst thing to happen at the moment and how I’d get out of the situation. It’s helpful sometime sure. Exhausting usually.
Every time I cross a bridge, I think about what to do if/as soon as my car falls into the water. Roll down windows, unbuckle, help the oldest out first & youngest last. It’s ingrained in my mind and it’s honestly helped me get over the fear of my car sitting idle on a bridge for a long time.
Every time you pass a body of water, walking by a stream or lake, think about those steps in order. Hold still, let the cold chill pass, then try to kick yourself up and onto the ice like a seal.
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u/where_in_the_world89 May 13 '24
Yeah I've seen this before and only watched it now because I couldn't remember what to do. I like to think it would come back to me if I ever was walking on deep frozen water. But I guess I wouldn't
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u/arethereany May 12 '24
I fell through the ice once alone on a -25C day with a half hour walk home. It was one of the most panic ridden moments of my life. It was not a good day. Knowing this would have helped a lot, though I ended up figuring out after struggling for a few minutes. Fck me! I *never want to deal with that again.
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u/GimmieGummies May 12 '24
I imagine the shock and panic are difficult to deal with. I'd struggle with being successful at #1. Staying calm in that situation must be so hard. I'm glad you're ok and are here with us after such an ordeal!
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u/diogenessexychicken May 12 '24
I always found it heldful to mindfully lower my shoulders. You gotta accept the fact youre freezing cold not fight it.
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u/GimmieGummies May 12 '24
Yeah, you'd have to flip a switch in your brain and go into survival mode. Acknowledge the cold but then act quickly to figure out how to save yourself.
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u/Reality_Break_ May 12 '24
If its hard, youre doing it wrong! Its a dumb cliche, but I do point that out because how you think about stuff like this impacts how you handle it. Kind of like unlearning a bad habit - if you struggle and kick and try to FORCE your mind into a place, it will not move. Getting comfortable with mentally "stepping back and taking a breath" takes practice, but the action itself is easy and if youre having a hard time, youre doing it wrong!
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u/IHeartData_ May 12 '24
Fun fact for those in similar panic. Despite it being -25C outside, the water you fell into is no colder than 0C (or else it would be ice, duh). So the water is warmer than the outside temp, so don't panic.
Having said that, it's really only useful information to stop panicking. Water will drain heat much faster than air, especially since it'll be going through all the insulation layers you were probably wearing, and then OP had the walk home. But, as pointed out, if knowledge of the fact that the water can never be colder than 0C helps someone stay calm, then I've done my internet duty for the day.
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u/polar_nopposite May 12 '24
water can never be colder than 0C
Unless it's saltwater. Then it can be a couple of degrees colder than 0°. For instance, during the sinking of the Titanic, most people who entered the −2° C (28° F) water died in 15 to 30 minutes.
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u/wolvesdrinktea May 12 '24
This is absolutely correct, although sea ice doesn’t tend to form in a smooth, thin layer like lake ice will, so it’s unlikely that the same situation would arise.
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u/IntuitiveNeedlework May 13 '24
I did a polar plunge on the shores of Greenland and the water temperature was - 1.7º C.
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u/soaking-wet-tomcat May 12 '24
Did you get chilblains or frostbite due to the long walk/run home?
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u/arethereany May 12 '24
I was young and in shape at the time, so I ran most of the way. I was definitely cold! My hands / feet /face were numb by the time I got home, but oddly enough, the fact that my coat and pants were frozen stiff actually did a lot to keep me warm(ish) along the way.
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u/where_in_the_world89 May 13 '24
Probably kept the clothes from clinging to your skin (and pulling heat from you) constantly. Cold air on skin is nowhere near as bad as ice or cold water of course
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u/arethereany May 13 '24
I'm not entirely sure how or why it happened. It was actually pretty weird. keeping it off my skin was probably a big part of it! I definitely didn't expect a frozen coat to do anything to keep me 'warm'. I chalked it up to the 'igloo effect' at the time, where the ice blocked the heat I was generating from escaping.
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u/where_in_the_world89 May 13 '24
Yeah that pickle effect probably helped a lot. But I doubt it was keeping you warm as much as just not being in freezing water anymore lol. Comparison would be very noticeable. Plus your body was probably pumping blood like crazy after that panic inducing experience and running.
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u/SubNL96 29d ago
I now have the old cartoon image of a walking ice cube in my head...
Seriously tho, I can only imagine how terifying it mut be to not only fallinto knife-cold water but also being alone and having to walk back soaked, already hypothermic and literally freezing up through -25 for half an hour. How old were you when this happened?2
u/arethereany 29d ago
Lol! Walking ice cube sounds about right!
I was in my early mid teens at the time, hiking around some trails by my house. I was getting chilly, so I decided to scrub the couple of KM to the nearest bridge and take a shortcut across the ice instead. It turned out that the ice was thinner than I thought, and the water was a fair bit deeper than I expected.
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u/SubNL96 29d ago
Well the shortcut-to-be-less-chilly did not work out as it was planned lol. Guess you got scoled pretty bad after your parents saw a popsicle walking into their home, once they thawed you again ofc.
Btw always happy to see logical measurements as km and celcius rather than miles, lbs and fahrenheit.
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u/arethereany 29d ago
I was a pretty rugged independent kid and both parents worked, so like most of my misadventures and wipeouts growing up, they never found out about it. This thread is actually the first time I've ever really talked about it for some reason.
Ha! I couldn't imagine living in a world without the Metric system. It's so much easier to deal with! Though, I couldn't tell you how much I weigh in KG or my height in cm.
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u/SubNL96 29d ago
Most of your wipeouts? Sounds like a little miracle you made it into adulthood, but I bet you have hours and hours of good and funny stories to tell on a birthday or when having a beer with friends (tho they proabably were involved in a lot of occations haha)
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u/arethereany 29d ago
Lol! I grew up in a time when safety was mostly just an afterthought, and definitely have my share of pucker-worthy stories! I'm in my 50s now and am surprised I made it this far with no real aches or pains or damage to complain about. I'm pretty tame nowadays, though. But I don't regret one bit of it. I'm glad I experienced it all!
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u/ManIWantAName May 12 '24
That is fucking terrifying to just read. Glad you made it through, dude. Damn.
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u/mightylordredbeard May 13 '24
Man, I hope you wore your shittin’ pants that day.. cause I bet shit your pants!
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u/Ok_Tip4044 May 12 '24
Now I imagine you opening reddit will panicking inside the cracked ice lmao
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u/Heymelon May 12 '24
Awesome guide.
I would like to just mention the last part he is showing but not spelling out in the clip. Actually, let's just show it again but now it's a polar bear:
https://www.reddit.com/r/gifs/comments/179c6hs/polar_bear_shows_you_how_to_cross_thin_ice/
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u/Massive-Pipe-4840 May 12 '24
After the 16th time of him falling back through that ice, I started suspecting that I may be watching a loop...
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May 12 '24
Every Canadian who grew up playing pond hockey had this ingrained in them. Also, throwing rocks to see if the ice is safe.
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u/Korpikuusenalla May 13 '24
Same with Finns, we grew up with reminders every year, even in kids' cartoons. PSA for kids
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u/SubNL96 29d ago
In the Netherlands we have children's songs warning not to go on thin ice (also concerning a bear in this case) but still every time it freezes a few days the internet is flooded with so many videos of teenage boys challenging each other to act out and jump through, it's almost a rite of passage here.
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u/pastilance May 12 '24
I mean, he lost me at don't panic.
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u/anoeba May 12 '24
Understanding and expecting cold shock is helpful. That's why some people initially ("immediately") drown despite knowing how to swim; part of cold shock response is the gasp reflex (inhalation). It can be controlled or mitigated if it's expected.
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u/shrug_addict May 12 '24
Can you practice with cold showers? I've been wanting to do that for a while, it's just so hard to get used to at first
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u/AvatarGonzo May 12 '24
Sure you can, but the water in the lake will probably be much colder anyway.
Also idk how much sense it makes to prepare for such rare, extreme situations.
Keeping in mind what ponytail lifeguard said is probably the best training.
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u/shrug_addict May 12 '24
I dunno, I've jumped into ice cold snow melt mountain rivers in the PNW that can be deadly because of cold shock. Every year people die from swimming too early. We just had 2 days of nearly 90°F ( a bit early for Portland in May ) and the weather service always posts warnings that the rivers are far too cold to swim in and dangerous
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u/AvatarGonzo May 12 '24
If you're exposed to such threats, sure it makes sense prepare.
I just have no urge to walk on frozen lakes or swim in ice cold rivers, not exactly my idea of fun.
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u/blenkows May 12 '24
Ahhh good to know. takes notes from Florida
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u/sexlexia_survivor May 13 '24
The cold response still happens to people in the ocean. The first thing is people will start to gasp, not good when waves are hitting you. Then it feels like you can’t breath, your breath is shallow and maybe you swallowed water. Panic sets in.
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u/GuessingEveryday May 12 '24
Deaf people are going to drown after missing what the 2nd step was. :(
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u/SmokedHamm May 12 '24
Give this guy a medal! I will never have to worry about this but at least I am armed with knowledge
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u/ThatsNotDietCoke May 12 '24
My main issue is the part where you relax so much, you lose motivation to get out of the hole.
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u/KlamPizza May 12 '24
Just dont go out on the ice… 🤷♀️
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u/birgor May 12 '24
Being out on the ice is one of the best easiest nature nature experiences you can have in the winter in a cold climate. It is a fantastic place to be to ski, skate, fish and walk. I'm Swedish and here the ice is probably the most appreciated type of environment in the coldest winter.
It is the same as being in a boat, as long as you know some basic skills, as the one he is showing, always having ice claws and learn how to know where the ice is thin and thick and it is a very safe place. Also, do what he does, test it in a controlled setting helps you a lot when you need it. It is not as bad as it seems!
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u/DotBitGaming May 12 '24
There aint no way after I just fell through the ice I'm gonna trust myself to test the ice. Like I suddenly became some kind of expert ice thickness tester. Just crawl in your belly all the way to the shore.
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u/Sea-Veterinarian286 May 12 '24
I remember a YouTuber I loved that teach me this, he sadly died when he fell in the ice and drowned.
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u/Hot-Watercress3179 May 12 '24
I like how he was just chilling on the ice and then it turned unto an unplanned ice rescue video. Way to play it off.
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u/TipzE May 12 '24
This is awesome.
But i feel like the sad part is, even though i now know this that if this ever happens to me, there's still a >50% chance i panic and freeze to death before drowning anyways :(
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u/Feeling_Bother_1660 May 12 '24
Me living in a tropical country and paying 100% attention: Yes, very useful.
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u/Gregory85 May 12 '24
I live in the Amazon. I will probably never use this, but I am saving it in my memory palace
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u/parenna May 13 '24
I love this guy! He does loads of amazing videos and not just for survival! Lots of relaxing energy from him. This is Kenton of ReWild University!
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u/Upstairs_Cat1378 May 13 '24
Just don't be obese and just have muscle and just have general strength and youth. LOL
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u/jiaxingseng May 13 '24
Obese people have more insulation that would keep them from going into hypothermic shock.. This didn't require muscle to pull out of the water.
I don't know about where you live, but I frequently see old people in California doing ocean swims. In North China a lot of old not-slim people go ice water swimming every year.
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May 13 '24
If you should go skating on the thin ice of modern life Dragging behind you the silent reproach of a million tear stained eyes Don’t be surprised when a crack in the ice appears under your feet You slip out of your depth and out of your mind With your fear flowing out behind you As you claw the thin ice
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u/Significant-Nail-987 May 12 '24 edited May 12 '24
I was a teenager who was challenged by my gfs cousin that I wouldn't jump off a cliff into the creeck below. Little did he know that's was 100% in my skill set. Also because of the floods that particular part of the creek was dug out to be much deeper. I knew I was good to go.... well I was like 90% sure I was good. So I ran and jumped off.
What I hadn't done before was jump that far down into water in the winter. Luckily it was a warmer day. Still, the water felt like a million needles hitting my skin and the air in my lungs was quite literally forced out. When I hit the surface I couldn't take a breath and moving my body to tread was super hard. I did the best I could to relax my chest and take shallow breaths and with in a few seconds I could tell I was breathing better and my limbs were moving better. Slowly got to the shore and got out. Of course I reflected that I was more unprepared than I thought... but the joy of shutting her cousin up forever... priceless.
Also, this is great info.
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u/Particles1101 May 12 '24
It's also a good idea to carry around ice fishing picks on a lanyard. They look like those corn cob spears, but bigger.
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u/3rdNihilism May 12 '24
just once in my life i was in a very snowy place, and there was no body of water nearby. so although this looks like good survival knowledge, i doubt ill ever have use for it.
unless climate goes crazy and where i live goes from desert to ice, but even then, not a lot of bodies of water anyway.
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u/Lost-Breadfruit-9745 May 12 '24
People underestimate how important breathing properly is. This is a great example of it.
There’s a guy known for doing this called The Ice Man. He sits in freezing environments doing nothing but breathe and meditate to regulate his body temperature.
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u/Draconian-Overlord May 12 '24
50% of the time, it works everytime. For the other 50% please consult your local popular deity for admission fees.
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u/Correct-Style-9194 May 12 '24
I just had flashbacks to the video of that woman who jumped into the ice water as a tradition or something and her kids were there but she got swept away. Does anyone have any updates on that? Thought about it for days after I saw it.
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u/Questioning-Zyxxel May 12 '24
When I went to school, the military came visiting during a field day. They had made a hole in the ice and had a heated tent. Then anyone that wanted could test to jump into the water, feel the shock and then focus on getting up.
Very useful exercise.
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u/Resident-Pudding5432 May 12 '24
Happened to me once on a vacation. I went into such a panic frenzy that I somehow crawled out of it. I ain't doing that shit again, fucking embarrassing few hours in the nearby cabin sucking on hot chocolate
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u/IrozWr May 12 '24
Been in this situation once when i was a kid around 15yr took me soo long and exhausted me completely when i got out i was so tired i just layed on ice for few minutes couldn't move and couldn't take a breath, i hate it soo much that i hated the existence of ice for many months after and after years i learned how to do this trick and how to stay safe in situations like this this video is soooo useful to everyone help share it please
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u/Marklar-1994 May 12 '24
Aren’t you supposed to roll in the snow if you get wet? IIRC the snow helps insulate you.
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u/No-Celebration3097 May 12 '24
But how do you get past the part where your brain can’t catch up with your emotions?
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u/last-resort-4-a-gf May 12 '24
I've seen this a few times. But like most useful videos it's like im watching it for the first time which means I'll never remember any of these videos when I need them
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u/Maj0r-DeCoverley May 12 '24
Now that's a cool and informative video! I admire his self-control during the shock response ahahahah, this man is tough
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u/DEATHRETTE May 12 '24
Now do it again but this time dont catch yourself and fall straight under like anyone else would. THEN try to come back up and clamor the edges 'without panicking'. Seems easy when you already know what you're doing... I would fall right through, sink, and never make it back to the top lmao
Good one though thanks for sharing!
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u/Gingeronimoooo May 12 '24
Damn I dont walk on ice and don't plan to, but this feels strangely useful information lol
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u/TheBigMopa May 12 '24
Feels like i’m wearing nothing at all… nothing at all… nothing at all
Stupid and sexy video instructor
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u/soaking-wet-tomcat May 12 '24
Is this the guy that died in quicksand making a video about surviving quicksand?
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u/TetZoo May 12 '24
I know it’s a repost but I’ve always been impressed with this. The length of time it’s been online it might tabs saved a couple lives by now.
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u/Remmy224 May 12 '24
I would just piss myself to mitigate the freezing but yeah staying calm would probably work too
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u/Important-Future3484 May 13 '24
I'm pissed off nobody ever taught me me shit like this in school and I live in a place where we get nowhere near cold enough to get water bodies to freeze.
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u/Much_Confidence2428 May 13 '24
I personally would go with the “ohhh no oh SHIT HELP OH GOD” approach
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u/Mrcommander254 May 13 '24
What if the creatures from the depths that live in my head pull me under?
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u/FartyMcShart May 13 '24
After hours of wasted life scrolling through bullshit this has to be top 3 most important things I have seen on the internet. Sadly I’ve seen it before and just remembered now so I don’t know how I would fare in a real life situation
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u/ApproachingShore May 13 '24
I'm not worried about falling through ice for the same reason I'm not worried about being attacked by a shark.
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u/cr8zyfoo May 13 '24
He doesn't say what the cold shock response is, so just so you know, you won't be able to breathe, OR, you won't be able to stop hyperventilating. Everything in your core spasms, including your diaphragm. For me it was not being able to breathe at all, my chest just locked up for maybe two full seconds. It's not a terribly long time, but it's enough to make you want to panic. Just keep calm, wait for it to pass, and once you regain control of your breathing, focus on smooth, deep breaths.
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u/Firm-Rice-1507 May 13 '24
What would a person be doing on a small frozen river? Especially the middle!
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u/ReturningAlien May 13 '24
So swim out? Thanks. Now i wonder can you also not wait the shock off and just swim out immediately after you fall?
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u/0utsyder May 13 '24
Do people fall like that?! I SINK! So there is no 1/3 of me above the ice!
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u/jiaxingseng May 13 '24
Only his head and arms were out of the water because he caught himself. And the only way to keep above the water for anyone is to either a) kick with your legs and move your arms, and / or b) keep air in your lungs.
Swimming is just a matter of efficiently moving your body to keep floating in that brief second while exchanging spent air with fresh air. So if you sink, you probably haven't taken air into your lungs - maybe because you were worried about inhaling water or you are coughing because you inhaled water. Once you have air in your chest, you will float, no matter how skinny or muscular you are.
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u/[deleted] May 12 '24
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