NEWS RELEASE
ONTARIO PROVINCIAL POLICE
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Members of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP detachment would like to remind all area residents, cottagers, contractors and any other potential ice surface users to stay clear of our area water surfaces as very little, if any, ice has formed due to abnormal weather conditions.
The lack of ice and vast areas of open water is creating possible dangerous situations for you and responding emergency services personnel. Every year, needless preventable tragedies occur on our area water and ice surfaces, which could have been avoided, and emergency services are counting on you to make that decision to stay off the ice.
Any ice surface user must remember that no ice is safe ice and that any travel on the current water/ice surface conditions, if any ice should even exist, should be wearing proper survival clothing/suit, having a fully charged cellphone along with telling a friend, neighbour, family member or work supervisor of your destination. The following links have further safety suggestions should anyone travel over area water or ice:
redcross.ca/training-and-certification/swimming-and-water-safety-tips-and-resources/swimming--boating-and-water-safety-tips/ice-safety
coldwaterbootcamp.com/pages/home.html
North Simcoe area fire services are trained in ice and water rescue incidents. However, valuable time is lost in determining and attending incident locations. Aerial support may be available through the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, but arrival time can be lengthy leaving self-rescue as your only option.
The importance of self-rescue can not be over-stressed and remember we’re all in it together and these rescues put the victim(s) and emergency services personnel at risk.
Please view the webcam links courtesy of the following Midland-area marinas and resorts showing current weather and water surface conditions:
delawanaresort.ca/webcam.htm https://www.hhbc.ca
bayportyc.com
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