In the wake of the drowning of a man in his forties and a child in Saint-Zénon, the Quebec Lifesaving Society (QLS) is reminding people of certain safety rules to follow when engaging in activities on the ice.
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 with a tractor on a section of ice around Lake Ernest when the ice gave way.
A coroner’s investigation was immediately launched to shed light on the circumstances that led to this tragedy and possibly make recommendations to prevent such a scenario from happening again.
QLS, whose mandate is to raise public awareness in order to prevent drownings, records an average of six to eight winter drownings per year. So far in 2025, six people have lost their lives in Quebec’s icy waters. In addition to the two deaths in Saint-Zénon, there were three drownings earlier this year and the death of a snowmobiler on Dec. 15.
“Far be it from us to tell people they can’t engage in activities on the ice—quite the contrary. But you have to make sure you have the right information before venturing out there,” explains Raynald Hawkins, executive director of QLS.
He points out that the color and thickness of the ice are the most important safety indicators. As a general rule, if the ice is black and you can see the bottom of the lake, it is safe to walk on. This solid ice is the result of at least seven to 10 consecutive days below minus-10 Celsius, accompanied by cold nights.
“Just to walk on this ice, it needs to be at least 10 centimetres thick,” says Hawkins, adding that this measurement will vary depending on the type of activity, the number of people, and the weight on the ice.
For example, to support a snowmobile, the ice must be 12 to 15 centimetres thick, while to set up a fishing hut, it must be between 30 and 38 centimetres thick.
However, Hawkins advises against venturing onto gray ice. This is a mixture of frozen and liquid water, which makes it brittle.
When the ice surface is “whitish” in color, it is safe to walk on provided it is twice as thick as the recommended thickness for translucent ice, warns the director general.
Surviving a fall into freezing water
The first step, according to Hawkins, is always to contact emergency services by dialing 911, when possible. “More and more, our firefighters are trained in ice rescue. They are equipped to rescue people as quickly as possible when they are in cold water,” he said.
It is possible to help someone who has just fallen in, but it is advisable to keep a safe distance to avoid breaking the ice under your feet. In such situations, people should spread their weight by lying down on the ice, then extend a long object, such as a hockey stick, for the person in distress to grab onto.
As for the person who falls into the water, they must keep the “1-10-1” rule in mind, Hawkins emphasizes.
When you suddenly find yourself in icy water, your body experiences thermal shock, which triggers hyperventilation. “You feel your respiratory system trying to work 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.
“The 10 is 10 minutes of muscle strength ahead of you,” says Hawkins. This window of time is enough to get out of the water before losing all your energy.
“Ideally, I would advise you to turn toward where you came from, because a few inches or steps away, the ice is strong enough to support you,” advises Hawkins.
He suggests swimming while pounding the ice with your fist until it stops breaking. Once you reach this more solid surface, you can pull your arms up to your armpits, then kick your legs to lift your upper body out, while crawling.
“Once you’re completely out, don’t stand up,” warns Hawkins. To avoid breaking the ice again, he recommends crawling back the way you came, on all fours.
The last “1” in the rule indicates that a person can remain in cold water for one hour before dying of hypothermia.
Hawkins reminds residents who want to enjoy their frozen lake this winter to stay close to the shore, where the water freezes more easily.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
