In wartime, children face increased risks due to changes in their usual places for walks, limited security in the city, and insufficient adult supervision, which makes spring ponds especially dangerous. Even small frozen areas may seem safe, but under the weight of a person, the ice quickly breaks down, and the cold water sharply reduces the chances of survival. In such conditions, playing on ponds becomes deadly, as children often do not realize the weakness of the ice and the reality of the threat.
Tragedy on a pond in the Shevchenkivskyi district of Kharkiv
On March 13, a tragic event occurred in Kharkiv that claimed the lives of two children after they fell through the ice on one of the city ponds. This was reported by the Main Department of the State Emergency Service in the Kharkiv region. According to rescuers, six children were on the ice at the same time, but the ice cover could not withstand their weight, and they all ended up in cold water.
A caring local resident who happened to be nearby rushed to help and was able to pull four children out of the water, risking his own safety. However, two boys – a seventeen-year-old teenager and a ten-year-old child – died, as they could not be saved. After arriving at the scene, divers and rescuers from the State Emergency Service lifted the bodies of the deceased to the shore, completing the search operation.
After it became known about the death of the children, psychologists from the State Emergency Service joined the work, providing support to parents and relatives. Such tragedies leave deep psychological trauma, so the help of specialists in the first hours after the event is of great importance for people experiencing loss.
Advice to parents on how to keep children safe
The spring period is especially dangerous for those who try to go out onto the ice. Under the influence of the sun, temperature fluctuations and currents, the water under the ice cover gradually erodes it from below, so even a seemingly solid surface can suddenly break underfoot.
During the transition from winter to spring, ice on water bodies loses its strength much faster than it can be noticed visually. On the surface, it may look dense and smooth, but inside it often becomes porous, filled with water and cracks, which make it extremely fragile.
The biggest danger is that children often perceive a frozen body of water as a place for entertainment, especially if they see traces of other people or animals. Even a few steps on such a crack can lead to its destruction, and the cold water that a person falls into causes rapid hypothermia and sharply reduces the chances of rescue.
Parents should regularly explain to children that spring ice is not safe, even if it looks strong.
It is necessary to prohibit playing on frozen bodies of water and talk about the real consequences of such risky entertainment.
It is necessary to be interested in where children spend their free time after school and with whom they walk.
It is advisable to remind children that in case of danger, they should immediately call adults or call the rescue services.
It is important to explain that helping a person who has fallen under the ice should be done carefully and without entering a dangerous area, otherwise another person may become a victim.
Adult vigilance and frank conversations with children about the danger can save lives and help avoid tragedies similar to the one that occurred on the Kharkiv reservoir.
