The U.S. Coast Guard Station Marquette trains for ice rescues almost every day during winter.

“Sometimes we do it at night, the mornings, we just try to do different conditions because we never know when we’re going to get a call,” U.S. Coast Guard Station Marquette Petty Officer Third Class McKenna Shook said.

The self-proclaimed ‘world expert in ice rescue’ says this Coast Guard station has not responded to any ice rescues so far this winter. However, it still urges you to take safety precautions just in case something happens out on the ice.

“Don’t be dumb about it,” Shook said. “You’re risking your life, it’s the same way when you go out on a boat. Just know the safety precautions and bring someone with you.”

The Coast Guard recommends bringing a personal flotation device when going on any ice, adding it’s extremely important to inspect the ice beforehand. “Different colorations like a dark gray means there’s water coming up,” Shook said. “Different shards of the ice, we call it candle ice, means the ice is deteriorating.”

If you fall through the ice, the Coast Guard wants you to remember one-ten-one.

Take one minute to control your breathing. Then use the next ten minutes to move and grab the ice shelf, while spreading your weight evenly, and know that you have about one hour before you’ll lose consciousness.

Petty Officer Third Class Shook explains how to escape from the water once grabbing ice. “You’re going to try to flutter kick up on the ice, then once your waist is on you’re going to start army crawling, and then you’re going to start rolling until you can stand up,” she said.

The Coast Guard urges you to avoid the ice on Lake Superior, saying the water beneath can be unpredictable and cause it to break. Instead, stick to smaller inland lakes for activities like ice fishing. Always remember to take precautions beforehand.

To see the video version of this report and read related stories, follow this link to the uppermichigansource.com website. https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2022/02/15/us-coast-guard-station-marquette-trains-ice-rescues-...