Ice training in Candle Lake. ( Facebook/Saskatchewan Environment)

By Ian Gustafson

Necessary Practice

Conservation officers brave the cold during training session in Candle Lake

Feb 8, 2022 | 1:00 PM

Jumping into freezing cold water is not something many Saskatchewan residents would sign up for, but to become a conservation officer in our province it’s necessary.

Recently the Ministry of Environment held their yearly ice training sessions in Candle Lake where they teach new recruits both in the classroom and in practical exercises how to respond to cold water situations.

Kevin Harrison, a conservation officer and an ice rescue instructor, told paNOW the training is for not only rescuing others but also themselves.

“Every officer that comes through the ranks has to become trained in ice rescue,” he said. “It’s critical training that we give our officers, and we routinely respond to calls in winter conditions at all times. Either we’re checking fisherman on quads or snowmobiles or even a vehicle, so the potential is always there with ice condition deteriorating or just bad ice all together.”

The two-day course is spent in the classroom some of the time but also out in the field. Harrison explained the participants will put on a “floater suit” and enter the water and learn to save themselves using ice picks or saving others using a strategy called “go rescues” where they use some sort of aid to reach someone such as a ladder.

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In first entry into the frigid water, Harrison said your body wants to gasp as an initial response but it’s important to remember to remain calm and control your breathing. He also said to find some solid ice to lift yourself out while kicking your legs as fast as you can.

“You only got probably three to five minutes of good energy to get yourself out,” he added.

The training is needed because they’ve had instances in the past where officers have fallen through the ice and have seen some situations where they’re lucky to get out alive.

“So now we determined this is the training everybody needs, you know it could potentially save your life or somebody else’s at some point,” Harrison said.

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Ian.gustafson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @IanGustafson12