What to know about the importance of safety on the ice

In this bitterly cold weather, there’s an issue that often goes overlooked but can be incredibly dangerous. We’re talking about being on the ice.

Earlier this month, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office urged people to stay off the ice after an increase in rescues.

Here’s the general rule of thumb: If ice is at least five inches thick, it is ok to walk, skate or fish on ice. You can snowmobile on ice that’s at least eight inches.

But it’s so easy to misjudge, and warning signs are easy to miss.

Megan Ferraro, the chair of the US National Water Safety Action Plan and the Executive Director of the National Water Safety nonprofit, the Zac Foundation, joined Local 4 Live to talk about ice safety. You can watch the full interview at the beginning of this article.