The Municipality of Bluewater is reminding residents and visitors to enjoy the lake from a distance.
As ice forms on the lake, it constantly breaks up, refreezes and gets pushed towards the shoreline, forming ice shelves that can stretch several meters out into the lake. CAO Laurie Spence Bannerman pointed out it can almost look like an extension of the shoreline in some places and it’s very tempting to some more adventurous people to want to walk out on them a bit. But she warns unlike ice that forms over bodies of standing water, ice forming over the Great Lakes is thinner and less stable because the lake beneath the surface is always moving. The deceptively stable-looking ice can hide large cracks or caverns and a person can easily slip through the cracks and get trapped in frigid waters.
Spence Bannerman said hypothermia can set in within minutes if the temperatures are cold enough and depending on conditions, it can be difficult for rescue crews to respond. It’s a beautiful sight, particularly with a bright sunset, but it’s a site best enjoyed from the shore.
