On November 15, a report was received by the duty officer about a fisherman who had fallen through the ice on Lake Teklits in the village of Zvezda. Upon arrival at the scene, it was established that a person was located 10 metres from an ice hole and 10 metres from the shore, who was rescued by an eyewitness (pulled out of the ice hole). Rescuers delivered the victim to the shore and handed him over to an ambulance crew. After medical examination, he was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Healthcare Institution "Lepel Central District Hospital" with a diagnosis of hypothermia.
On November 15, a report was received by the duty officer about a fisherman who had fallen through the ice on Lake Teklits in the village of Zvezda. Upon arrival at the scene, it was established that a person was located 10 metres from an ice hole and 10 metres from the shore, who was rescued by an eyewitness (pulled out of the ice hole). Rescuers delivered the victim to the shore and handed him over to an ambulance crew. After medical examination, he was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Healthcare Institution "Lepel Central District Hospital" with a diagnosis of hypothermia.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) received a report of an emergency incident on the Western Dvina River on November 13 in the early evening. MES and law enforcement officers were dispatched to the scene. As it became known during the investigation of the circumstances, a 43-year-old resident of Vitebsk was walking his dog on the riverbank near Kuybyshev Street. The dog ran onto the ice and fell through. Trying to save the animal, its owner found himself trapped by the thin ice.
Divers from the Search and Rescue Squad of the MES Directorate and the OSVOD (All-Russian Society for the Rescue of Persons on Waters) conducted a survey of the river's water area at the presumed drowning site. The river is about 100 m wide, up to 3.5 m deep, with a current speed of 1-1.5 m/s in this section. The body of the deceased has not yet been found, and the search is ongoing.
The MES warns: in the current weather conditions, going out on the ice of water bodies is extremely dangerous. This is especially true for winter fishing enthusiasts. With the onset of frosty weather, do not expect water bodies to freeze over instantly. This is a lengthy process and depends on many factors. At low temperatures at night, ice forms, but at higher temperatures during the day, it begins to become porous due to water seeping through it. Even if the thickness appears considerable, it cannot be called reliable. The freezing process proceeds at different rates on different water bodies; for example, it forms more slowly on rivers because the current interferes with this process. Even on the same water body, the ice thickness can vary in different parts.
We remind you that according to the order of the Lepel District Executive Committee of November 15, 2016, No. 365r, it is forbidden to go out on water bodies during the ice formation period until the ice thickness reaches 7 centimeters, as well as during the period of intensive melting and ice destruction. However, even such a "reliability criterion" cannot guarantee safety.