CAMBRIDGE – It may be bitterly cold outside in Boston, but it’s not cold enough for one very dangerous activity.
Massachusetts State Police are asking people to please stay off the ice, after they got several calls about people trying to walk across the Charles River, saying even parts that look safe are still very risky.
Dispatchers can be heard on police radio communications for different calls about people on the ice, saying, “Storrow Drive for kids on the water on ice on Charles River,” and “A few calls on four skaters in the middle of the Charles.”
One wrong step and first responders say you could find yourself on thin ice. That’s why some running groups and walkers would rather keep their feet on solid ground even if it means a longer trek.
“It’s dumb. Dumb and not safe at all,” runner Jack Courtney told WBZ-TV. “It might be like two inches thick and that cannot support a body right now.”
“It’s probably a death sentence if you go out on the ice and you go through,” said walker Graham Sahagian.
Why Charles River ice isn’t safe
State police say the water underneath the Charles can change in depth every day, making it unpredictable and unsafe.
“The water that’s under the Charles River can vary in height up to two feet every day,” said State Trooper James DeAngelis. “This can cause an air void below the ice and walking on that without the ice being supported by the water underneath can significantly increase the risk of you falling through the ice.”
It’s not just rivers, people are urged to be careful around lakes and ponds too. Last week, first responders had to crawl on an icy Lake Waban in Wellesley to help a man and his dog after the pup got loose.
In Wareham, first responders found a man clinging to a kayak after he fell through an icy pond.
“Stay off the ice”
“Hypothermia, death from drowning, you’re not just putting yourself at risk, you’re putting first responders at risk, so we want you to stay off the ice,” said Trooper DeAngelis.
If the police see you walking or skating on the Charles or a body of natural water, they will advise you against it.
