In a training session organised by the Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation (FSL) and LähiTapiola Pirkanmaa, participants get the chance to practise getting back onto the ice from the water. The exercise can be made more realistic by wearing winter clothing, overalls and boots, or by attempting a rescue whilst wearing skis, for example.
Moving about on the ice is an integral part of the Finnish winter. The ice provides a wonderful setting for outdoor activities, fishing and other pastimes, but moving about safely requires knowledge of ice conditions, the right equipment and the ability to act if, despite everything, the ice gives way.
Practising falling through the ice and rescuing yourself from it is challenging in a real-life environment. With the help of a floating ice platform, the situation can be safely simulated in a swimming pool under the guidance of a specialist.
– Falling through the ice is a situation nobody wants to find themselves in, but that is precisely why it is worth practising in conditions of safety. On the ice platform, you quickly realise how wet clothes, boots or skis affect your movement and your ability to get out of the water. The aim of the training is to give people a practical experience of how to act in such a situation and what they can realistically expect of their own ability to cope, says Anne Hiltunen, water safety specialist at the Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation.
Hiltunen will be leading ice rescue exercises at the event, whilst also sharing practical tips on how to move safely on ice and how to rescue yourself from the ice.
The event is part of an ice rescue tour organised by the Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation and LähiTapiola, which covers five locations.
