Activities on the ice | How to prevent drowning
Following the drowning of a man in his forties and a child in Saint-Zénon, the Quebec Lifesaving Society is recalling certain safety rules to adopt when practicing activities on the ice.
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It was a dark Christmas day for the loved ones of the two victims, whose deaths were confirmed by the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) on Thursday. The day before, the man, accompanied by the young child, was clearing snow on a tractor from a section around Lake Ernest when the ice gave way.
A coroner’s inquest was immediately launched to shed light on the circumstances that led to this tragedy and possibly make recommendations to prevent this scenario from happening again.
The Quebec Lifesaving Society, which has the mandate to raise awareness among the population in order to prevent drownings, records an average of six to eight winter drownings per year. In 2025, six people have lost their lives in Quebec’s icy waters so far. In addition to these two deaths in Saint-Zénon, there were three drownings at the start of the year as well as the death of a snowmobiler on December 15.
Far be it from us to tell people that we cannot do any activity on the ice, quite the contrary. But you have to make sure to validate certain information before wanting to venture there.
Raynald Hawkins, general director of the Quebec Lifesaving Society
He points out that the color of the ice and its thickness are the most important safety indicators. As a general rule, if the ice is black and it is possible to see the bottom of the lake, it is safe to walk there. This solid ice is the result of at least seven to ten consecutive days below -10 degrees Celsius, accompanied by cold nights.
“Just to walk on this ice, it takes a minimum of 10 centimeters of thickness,” says Mr. Hawkins, adding that this measurement is likely to vary depending on the type of activity, the number of people and the weight present on the ice.
For example, to support a snowmobile, the thickness of the ice must reach 12 to 15 centimeters, whereas, to install a fishing cabin, it is necessary to be between 30 and 38 centimeters thick.
Mr. Hawkins, however, advises against venturing on gray ice. This is a mixture of frozen and liquid water, which makes it crumbly.
When the icy surface is “whitish” in color, it is passable provided it has double the thickness recommended for translucent ice, warns the general director.
Survive a fall into freezing water
The first step, according to Mr. Hawkins, is always to contact emergency services by dialing 911, when possible. “More and more, our firefighters have training in ice rescue. They are equipped to recover people as quickly as possible when they are in cold water,” he said.
It is possible to help a person who has just fallen, but it is advisable to keep a careful distance to prevent the ice from breaking under their feet. In these moments, people must distribute their weight by lying on the ice, then hold out a long object, like a hockey stick, for the person in distress to hold on to.
As for the person who falls in the water, they must keep in mind the “1-10-1” rule, emphasizes Mr. Hawkins.
When you suddenly find yourself in icy water, the body experiences thermal shock, which triggers hyperventilation. “We feel that our respiratory system wants to go faster to activate circulation,” he says.
The first “1” represents the time a person has to calm their breathing before losing consciousness, which is one minute.
“10 is 10 minutes of muscle strength in front of you,” says Hawkins. This window of time is enough to extricate yourself from the water before losing all your energy.
“Ideally, I would tell you to turn towards the place you came from, because there are a few centimeters or a few steps, it is able to support you that ice,” advises Mr. Hawkins.
The latter suggests swimming by hitting the ice with your fist until it no longer breaks. Once you have reached this more solid surface, it will be possible to extend your arms up to your armpits, then kick your legs to extend your upper body, while crawling.
“Once you’re all the way out, it’s not the time to get up,” warned Mr. Hawkins. To avoid breaking through the ice again, he recommends returning to these steps on all fours, or by crawling.
The last “1” in the rule indicates that a person can stay in cold water for one hour before dying of hypothermia.
Mr. Hawkins reminds residents who want to enjoy their frozen lake this winter to stay near the banks, where the water freezes more easily.
