22 Ukrainians have died on ice since the beginning of the year: how to avoid tragedy

Since the beginning of the year, 22 Ukrainians have died due to neglecting safety rules on ice. How not to end up in their place and save your life and the lives of your loved ones, representatives of the State Emergency Service and "Ukrhydroenergo" told during the discussion "When ice becomes a trap", as it happened on February 12 in Kyiv, UNN reports.

Deceased and rescued Ukrainians: current statistics of ice victims

Viktor Vitovetskyi, director of the civil protection and preventive activities department of the State Emergency Service, reported that 22 people have died on water bodies since the beginning of the year.

"Unfortunately, one of them is a child," he noted.

At the same time, according to him, last year the statistics for the same period were worse. The improvement in ice safety, he said, may partly be the result of regular warnings and public awareness about the dangers of going out on the ice.

The State Emergency Service also announced data on Ukrainians rescued on water bodies.

"Since the beginning of the year, 15 people have been rescued, four of them children," Vitovetskyi said.

But he emphasized that these figures should not be reassuring: it takes time for services to reach the scene, and for a person in danger in low temperatures, there may simply not be enough time.

Where tragedies happen most often

According to rescuers' observations, most deaths occur on rivers. Vitovetskyi explained:

"If we talk about different types of water bodies, today most deaths are observed on rivers - 15 people. And 7 people died on ponds and other inland water bodies."

Among the causes of death, unestablished circumstances (as they are difficult to determine precisely after a person's death, especially if there were no witnesses nearby) and fishing dominate.

Regional distribution: where most water deaths are recorded

The State Emergency Service also announced the regions where the most fatal cases have been recorded since the beginning of the year.

"This year, Dnipropetrovsk region has five people who died, Vinnytsia - three, Zakarpattia and Poltava - two people each," said the director of the department of civil protection and preventive activities of the agency.

For comparison, last year Vinnytsia, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Chernihiv regions were among the leaders.

Why ice near hydraulic structures is more dangerous

A separate emphasis during the conversation was placed on reservoirs and areas near hydroelectric power plants. Acting General Director of "Ukrhydroenergo" Bohdan Sukhetskyi emphasized:

"In our region and in our climatic region in general, there is no stable ice. That is, all the ice that is currently there is alive, it is unstable."

The key reason is the operation of hydraulic facilities and water level fluctuations. Sukhetskyi explained that a hydroelectric power plant creates movement of water masses, including raising warmer layers that undermine the ice from below. In addition, due to the war, the energy system operates in non-standard modes: after shelling or electricity shortages, hydrogeneration can be turned on at full capacity. As a result, noticeable level drops appear:

"These fluctuations can be from 10 to 15-17 centimeters," Sukhetskyi explained.

He described the mechanism by which even seemingly strong ice becomes a trap:

"The ice does not have time to descend, and an air layer immediately forms, and the ice becomes quite brittle."

An additional factor is micro-vibrations from the operation of the units, which cause micro-cracks in the ice cover. Such processes are imperceptible to a non-specialist, but critically affect safety.

"There is no safe ice": the position of rescuers

Oleksandr Tumanov, head of the underwater demining and other special works department of the State Emergency Service in Kyiv, formulated the basic principle as directly as possible:

"The main safety measure is not to go out on the ice at all. I mean, without urgent need."

He emphasized that it is impossible to fully guarantee safety on ice due to a combination of natural and man-made factors. After all, it is simply impossible to predict how the ice will "behave."

Separately, he drew attention to the human factor in a critical situation: a person who has fallen through experiences shock, panic, and quickly loses the ability to act rationally.

"Panic is the main enemy," Tumanov emphasized, speaking about self-rescue.

Car on ice: the drowning process happens very quickly

During the event, cases where cars drive onto the ice were also discussed.

Oleksandr Tumanov noted: "The process of a car drowning is very fast. A person may simply not have time to open the doors."

According to him, doors and locks can be blocked by ice and water pressure, and rescue scenarios "like in the movies" do not work in reality.

The State Emergency Service emphasized: driving cars on a frozen body of water is the riskiest type of behavior on water bodies in winter, because a person actually leaves themselves minimal chances of rescue.

How to act if you see a person fall through the ice

The State Emergency Service advises first of all to call emergency services: call 101 or 112 from your mobile phone.

Then, if the person helping does not put themselves at mortal risk, they should act as carefully as possible.

Viktor Vitovetskyi explained the basic rules to Ukrainians.

If it is necessary to approach, one should crawl, distributing weight evenly over the surface so as not to break the ice under oneself.

It is also important to use improvised means: it can be a rope, it can be a stick or another object to provide support to the victim and not approach too closely.

If the victim is unconscious or exhausted, rescuers advise acting through improvised extenders (scarf, belt, etc.) and immediately proceed to pre-medical care after extraction.

Vitovetskyi separately emphasized the importance of first aid skills: in wartime, this is a necessary competence not only for cases on water.

Fishermen on ice: what minimizes risks

Rescuers admit: despite warnings, some people still go out on the ice for fishing. In such a case, Oleksandr Tumanov advises at least basic things: do not go on the ice alone, have a partner, and take a strong rope (preferably with a carabiner). And also grab items with "positive buoyancy."

He gave examples when people were rescued from a drifting ice floe, but admitted: sometimes even after rescue, people return to fish again.

At the end of the conversation, the speakers came to a common conclusion: warm weather and temperature fluctuations, as well as the operation of hydraulic structures, turn ice into an unpredictable environment where usual intuitive safety rules may not work.

The position of the State Emergency Service is unequivocal: it is better not to go out on the ice without extreme necessity, and near hydroelectric power plants and on rivers, the risk of falling into a deadly trap increases several times.

Recall

Earlier, the State Emergency Service warned about the most dangerous devices during blackouts. Since the beginning of the year, more than 1200 fires have been recorded due to emergency modes of power grids. Rescuers emphasize the danger of using uncertified devices and overloading power grids.