The boys in the frozen lake

[Workingman]

The four of them, aged six, eight, ten and eleven, are all now proclaimed dead - two from the same family.

It really is a tragedy as none of them were likely to be aware of the danger. There have not been enough days with sub zero temperatures for the ice to have been stable enough even to support a young child let alone four of them.

I really do hope that parents up and down the country are showing this disaster to their children and warning them in no uncertain terms - DO NOT GO ON THE ICE!

When I was a child the local park had an ornamental pond and as soon as the frosts started the ranger put up signs telling us to keep off the ice. It wasn't a deep pond and in summer we would use it to cool off - it was about waist deep. But falling in in winter could lead to instant shock and an inability to get out.

[Kaz]

Absolutely terrible, I teared up reading about. Yes there should be warnings, but would the children take any notice?

[Suff]

That's the problem Kaz. I knew all about the issues with ice and water and, still, I walked on the Witham in the 70's when it froze over solidly. I did check it was 3" deep at the edges but, still, it thins towards the centre. When it started to crack I got off it pdq. Even then as a county class sprint athlete I was 12st and it takes a lot of ice to hold me.

My heart goes out to the families who will be sitting there at Christmas without their children. It is a horrible thought.

We grew up with "DON'T GO ON THE ICE". Because there was ice. There is so rarely that much ice now that younger parents haven't really experienced it. I also hope that parents up and down the country are sending this message out to their children.

[cruiser2]

Heard it on the news that children in another part of the country had been seen on ice the day afterthe tragedy.

What most peope dont know is that when ice forms it contracts and leavesa gap between the undersurface of the ice and the water bekow.
This means the ice is not supported by the water which is why it easily cracks.

[Workingman]

What most peope dont know is that when ice forms it contracts and leavesa gap between the undersurface of the ice and the water bekow.
This means the ice is not supported by the water which is why it easily cracks.

Well, not quite. Ice is less dense than water because it expands, not contract. It is the science of when ice forms that creates the gap and gives us the silvery bubble effect. The gap on standing water (a lake or pond) is also a vacuum because of the absence of air as the ice forms, making the ice even more unstable.

It was a project we did at school all those decades ago.

[Suff]

It was a project we did at school all those decades ago.

Those were the days when they gave you knowledge and expected you to use it. We didn't do that project when I was at School and nowadays they expect Kids to Comply without thought. But when the ice goes away fro long times kids grow up without even knowing the restriction and have no clue that they should comply.

This is the crux of safety third. Know the risks, understand the consequences, make a decision. As opposed to safety first. Know nothing, expect the person doling out the rules to know everything, disengage brain and comply.

This is where safety first leads. Heartbreak at Christmas and it is horrendous.

[Workingman]

Mr Dennet took us out. We dug a hole in the ground and put a bucket of water in then packed the hole to represent a pond. The packed hole was to insulate the bucket from the air otherwise all we would get was a bucket shaped ice cube.

Come the next day there was an ice lid with a very small gap to the water below.

We then had to figure out why and to discuss our reasons. Mr D was the invigilator.

[Suff]

Think
Reason
Discuss

Howe dare they!