Spotting the differences between ice on a river and a lake

following the death of a 6-year-old girl who was pulled from an icy River in Norton fire officials are reiterating the importance of ice safety 22 news reporter kayy Thomas is here to discuss the differences between ice on a river and a lake and the potential risks associated with each while it may seem like both bodies of water are solid and safe fire officials say the thickness and stability of ice can vary greatly and compose a serious danger to anyone who Ventures onto it just because it's Lally cold doesn't mean it's exactly safe to walk or skate on ice ice on a river or stream may seem more solid but can actually be weaker and more prone to breaking those things uh tend to never truly freeze moving water is um not going to freeze the same way that the standing bodies will so any ice that's around the river or anything like that is always going to be unsafe West Springfield Fire Lieutenant Tony spear says the top layer of a standing body of water lake a lake or Pond will freeze faster since it is constantly exposed to the cold those are going to be the safe areas where you're going to want to do your skating or or outdoor activities but generally spear says it typically needs several days of below freezing temperatures for a standing body of water to freeze over now officials say you should know how thick the ice is before you go onto it they advise not stepping onto ice as less than 2 in thick as it may not be strong enough to support a person's weight there are also other ways to tell if the ice is safe to walk on you're going to look for discolored ice if you see any slushy ice cracks in the ice things like that um that you know clear blue ice is going to be the safest ice to be on so if it looks slushy dark cracked anything looks off just don't don't go on it spear as the city's parks department will post on social media or put signs up around unsafe ponds or lakes to alert the public of dangerous ice conditions if you see someone fall through the ice it's best to call 911 if you can and to shout to the victim to reassure them help is on the way working for you Kaye Thomas 22 News