(NEWS10) — News10 sat down with John Callaghan of the Hudson River – Black River Regulating District to discuss ice safety in the winter. He offered some safety tips and tools for those looking to venture out onto open bodies of frozen water such as lakes, rivers, and ponds.

• Slippery Ice – The lake may be frozen, but the ice is still slippery – be careful as it can be easy fall on the ice and hurt yourself

• As you drill holes in the ice, be very cautious around the water, it can be very easy to fall in

• Be very careful before setting foot/snowmobiles onto the ice – well a majority of a body of water can appear frozen solid and think enough to stand on, it can be easy to misjudge

• Thin ice can cause someone to fall through completely, and it can be hard to get back up on the ice

• Do not venture out onto the water in freezing temperature, frostbite it very easy to contract while out in freezing temperatures, especially on the water

• Stay alert – be aware of any alerts/warnings about your surroundings and take heed to what they say – risking your life for a day of ice fishing/snowmobiling is not worth it. 

• The Send It App, created due to the fundraising of the Henry D Ross III Memorial Fund and the community, provides a platform for people to report hazards all over the lake, and for others to see them before venturing out on the water

• The app is available for download on Google Play for Android devices and appadvice.com for Apple devices

The Hudson River – Black River Regulating District was established by the New York State Legislature to reduce flooding and regulating water augmentation over 100 years ago.  They were formed to help manage the water levels in the Hudson River and Black River basins in order to prevent flooding and to aid in the reduction of droughts. Their mission is to construct, maintain, and operate reservoirs in the upper Hudson River and Black River watersheds.