What to know
- Toronto Police Service says it has responded to an increase in calls involving people walking or skating on frozen sections of Lake Ontario, with several falling through the ice.
- Recent incidents include a youth rescued over the weekend and a man pulled from the water near Sugar Beach moments before submerging.
- Police have boosted Marine Unit patrols and education efforts, while the City of Toronto has installed warning signs and is urging residents to stay off all open bodies of water, unless they are deemed safe.
Toronto police are stepping up ice safety education efforts and Marine Unit patrols after more individuals were seen walking on and falling through ice in the city’s waterfront this winter.
The extreme cold snaps in Toronto over this winter have turned Lake Ontario’s surface into ice, and many residents are taking to the waterfront to walk and even skate over it, despite authorities and experts saying the move could be seriously dangerous.
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Toronto Police Service (TPS) tells Now Toronto its marine unit has received an increased number of calls this year related to people venturing onto the ice, and some even falling through.
Over the past weekend, police say a youth reportedly fell through the ice, and was able to get out with help from officers and a citizen who was nearby. After making sure he was safe, police later transported him back to his family.
Last December, also rescued four people who had fallen through in separate incidents.
During another occasion last November, police responded to another emergency call after a man fell through the ice near Sugar Beach, and was rescued only moments before disappearing in the water.
“When a TPS vessel arrived, the man was seconds from disappearing beneath the surface.
Officers grabbed hold of him, lifted him from the freezing lake, and moved him quickly to
paramedics on shore. Thanks to the rapid response of officers, the man survived and was
transported to hospital in non-life-threatening condition,” police said in a statement.
In response to the increased number of incidents, police say they have been directing its marine unit to step up patrolling near the waterfront and educate the public about ice safety.
Moreover, TPS has issued multiple statements reminding people that it is not safe to walk or skate on the ice.
“Officers have stepped up both patrols and education efforts around ice safety. For example, over the weekend, officers observed many individuals walking onto the ice. Marine Unit officers engaged with members of the public, explaining why the ice in that area is unsafe,” TPS said to Now Toronto.
“Ice conditions can vary dramatically within just a foot of distance. Ice near the shoreline is often much thinner because shallower water absorbs heat more quickly.”
City warns about ice safety
The City of Toronto says it has also put up safety signs encouraging residents to stay off the ice, positioned in “strategic locations” across the waterfront, including eastern and western beaches, the islands and Grenadier Pond.
In addition, the city also pushes constant messaging on social media to encourage people to stay away from rivers, lakes, and ponds.
“Walking or skating on lagoons, the inner harbour and other open bodies of water is extremely dangerous, which is why the City of Toronto strongly discourages it,” a spokesperson told Now Toronto.
