Don’t dice with.

HE RECENT cold spell
has brought ice to local
lakes and ponds and with
it a rush of people skat-
“ing, fishing and riding on | the
- frozen surfaces.

- The danger, says Terrace water Rescue team
member Dave Jephson, is not all ice conditions
are equal, a fact that seems lost on some.

~Misjudging those conditions can prove a fatal °

mistake so Jephson offers the following warn-
ings and advice:
w Jf there is a creek emptying into the lake

* you’re on, stay well clear of the area around its’

- mouth. The ice near flowing water is going to
‘ be weaker;

‘The ice around an obstacle in the lake — .

a log or snag —- can also be weaker so stay
back;
mw Discolouration of the ice is another warn-
ing sign;
- ..® Lakelse is known for its on-land hotspr-
ings, but there are also other springs in the lake
itself. Soft spots will form above these springs
‘so when oul on the lake stick to the active
“areas Where the ice has been proven safe;
s Because of those springs, never take a
truck out on Lo that lake;
' w Never go out on Ihe ice on your own,

Of course, there’s no guarantee that even
after having taken all these precautions, some-
one won't fall through the ice.

_ -If Uhat happens and you’re the one in the
~ Water, there are two rules to follow: don’t
. panic and hold on to the edge of the ice and
~ awail rescue,

‘For those who see the accident, the first

- priority is to get toa phone and cali the RCMP.

‘Tell them you have someone in the ice and
to call the Water Rescue team,”’ says Jephson.

Don't go out ¢ on the ice and try to
haul the person out. “You only end
up with two victims.”’......... Jephson

"|. The police will then pass the message to the
fire department which in tum pages the rescue
. team, They carry their diving suits with them
 for.just such an emergency and will respond
immediately.

While you’re waiting for the team to arrive al
“the scene, there are some things you can do ta

effect a escue on your, own — and a definite’ ~

don’t. :
Don't £0 out on the ice and try 1o haul the
~ person out yourself. ‘*You only end up with
‘two victims then,’’ Jephson warns.
To illustrate the point, he recounts the trage-
2» dy-at Convict Lake where six people fell
7 through the-ice.
*Three managed to get out by themselves but

"four people died trying to rescue the three wha

_ Yemained in the water.
“ Instead, throw oul something the person can
“hang on to — a rope, branch, an extension
cord, anything that’s to hand.
_ Jephson also notes the person in the water

~ will likely become hypothermic in less than 15

‘minutes, resulting in unresponsiveness and in-

- The hours add up for SAR volunteers

ICE SURFACE rescues can quickly turn into under ice operations. So when the
local Water Rescue team goes out they're ready for either. In the practice seen
above, not just the rescuer, but also the safety man wear diving suits justin case.”

coherency.

Once on the scene, team members don diving
Suils just in case the victim has already gone
under the ice or does so before they can haul
them out.

Noting there have been cases of people being
under the ice for 55 minutes before being
found and surviving, Jephson says the tearm
adopls the attitude they can save anyone if they
can rescue them within 90 minutes of the call
out.

For safety reasons, a dive only takes place if
there are three divers, he adds,

One goes under the i ice on a line to carry out
the search.

A second fully suited up ‘ safety man’? is
ready to go in instantly if it becomes apparent
the first diver is in trouble.

The third is in a dry suit but has diving gear
at hand just in case.

If the initial diver realizes he has become dis-

connected from his line, Jephson explains, he ©

goes up to just under thei ice and simply wails.
“Tf you have a problem, you're stuck until
someone finds you,’’ be says. “You'll never
find the hole yourself.’
The team members on the surface would be

~ alerted to, the situation because they would no

longer be getting a tug response.

The safety man is also on a line when he
goes in, but it is two to three times longer than
the first diver’s.

Knowing the direction the original diver took

before getting into trouble, the safety heads out
to one side as far as the rope allows, then
swings in an arc across the path taken by the.

first diver,
He too is just below the ice, the idea being he

will find the other diver when the rope comes
into contact with him.

“*We practice lost diver every year,’ J ephson
says, adding floating there under the ice await-
ing rescue is a strange feeling.

WHATEVER THE season,
the Terrace Search and Rescue
(SAR) stays busy.

Last year they were called
..out by the RCMP 15 times,
nine of which involved the
Water Rescue team,
member Dave Jephson.

‘

all volunteer.
And they put in even more in

> responds. —

many outdoors — with mem-

2,300 hours on those.

Land Rescue crews reccived
training on avalanche aware-
ness, basic search and rescue
and first aid.

Water Rescue members have
taken Surface Ice rescue in-
struction and Swift Water I
and II over the past 12 months.

And the snowmobilers’ arm

- Of SAR and local fire depart-
ments will also soon be getting
surface ice rescue training

from Jephson, Tony Toriglia
‘and Randy Smith.

-..But the Terrace SAR also
passes on its knowledge ta

other communitics in” the
northwest. Jephson says train-

says —
The 15 call outs saw SAR “
members put in 1,600 hours, ©

: training to deal with the emer:

gencics to which the BrOup.

. Jephson said there were 50 des
training sessions last year —

bers putting in an additional. “———

ing in search and rescue tech- .’

saving
tips

NEVER go out on
any ice on your
‘Own,

STAY CLEAR of
any creek that
empties into the
lake you're on.

DON’T GO near.
any obstacles in .
the lake. :

AVOID any.
discoloured’ice:"

STICK to the
active areas
where the ice has

been proven safe,

NEVER take a
truck outon to. ©
Lakelse Lake.

: Dear s

.. Dave Jephson
niques’ has already been given
to voluntcers in both Kitwanga

and Canyon City.

Terrace is also looking at

training people in other com-.

munities in ice rescue.

Jephson explains there is_a
great advantage lo having in-
structors up here: cost savings.
When the Terrace group
brought someone up in 1992
to teach surface and sub-ice
rescue, it cost close to $5,000,
Terrace also had to guarantee
20 participants, .

Local instructors will be able .-

to accept smaller numbers and
ensure a “‘moderate ‘cost’,
says Jephson.

|: . FAST RUNNING streams are a feature of the northwest. To be
ready for rescue efforts in such waters, Terrace's Water Rescue
team members take Swift Water training courses, Above, Jod
. Manduy battles the boiling waters during I last ‘year 8 exercise,” -

: WATCH OUT for moose when you. are: dri

The Derive Glaindard, Wedriecatay, Jatuey tT) thon AS

CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARL
rere
The Mail Bag

Simply too much crime |

Dear Sir:
Thave never scen such a crime-infested town as Terrace, and Pvc

° lived in many places.

My dad came to visit from out-of-province and didn’t arrive 2 until
well after midnight. The first thing he said was why are the strects
so busy with peaple walking around, There was nothing going on.

What do all these pcopic have to do so Jale at night? ;
~ Since we've live in the trailer park on Kalum St. we? ve had four

~ power saws go missing, along with many other things including my

five-year-old daughter's bike — but not before the. lizes were
slashed on it just two weeks before,

Since the first incident we've leamed to lock our stuff up but yes-
terday, after cutting firewood, we forgot to lock two Saws up. This
morning they were gone,

They must just circle the place looking for things to steal. About a
month ago an intoxicated man tried to make off with four j jerry cans
full of gas before being spotted.

I’m convinced the culprits are teenagers looking for drug money,
I've had children come to my door trying to sell new stuff and
strangers looking to buy drugs!

I'm sick of it, If the parents can’t or won't do anything about il
why,.do people around them have to suffer the consequences, The
fact that there are drug dealers and bootleggers on every corner
‘doesn't help.

I think the city should enforce a curfew to anyone under the age of
18. What business do children have on the streets afler 10 p.m.
anyhow, or anyone for that matter.

All the good teens would d already | be al home. We'd Just weed aut
the bad o ones, ae

= Am ant
‘Terrace, B.C,

ul group shoul visi
Anopen letter to; -_

Honourable Lloyd Axworthy.
Minister of Human Resources

Dear Sir: - ; _

As you have often stated, the proposed changes to unemployment
insurance are so important ‘that an effort must. ‘be: made to consult as
many Canadians as possible.

We are in complete agreement. What we odo not agree © with | is that
there are extremely few communities that will be heard from. This
is completely unacceptable. :

In the Pacific Northwest we have so many workers and their
families that will be affected by your proposals that we cannot stand
by and allow a minority to make these crucial, decisions for us.

I therefore request, hay, demand that your committee com2 and
listen to our serious concerns.

Norm Lavalice
“ oe President,
"Kitimat-Terrace and District Labour Council

“1
tial d

Maybe it s been valuabie’

Greetings fom a fearful, older white male with poor 1 rhetorical

» Skills with a right-wing reaction to political correctness and who has

‘made himself the self-appointed authority of the events (i's no

~ longer an incident) at the Northwest Community College i in No-

vember of 1994, (Mr. Lainsbury said all this about me in his letter).
I really must congratulate Mr. Lainsbury for achieving moral supe-
riority over me as ie indicates he has in the bottom of his Ictler of

» Dec. 21,.1994, T’ve been told that if you don’t have | a good argu

Ment it’s helpful to use a lot of words.
I know I promised 1 wouldn't write any more about this but it’s

; |, justtoo | good to pass up.

‘Tam not agaist feminism or for violonce against women, Nor am
IT against anyone’s feelings or rights to their own opinions and per-
ceptions. I’m purely and.simply against propaganda and bullying

; tactics — — propaganda being distortion of facls to advance'e cause,

T noted in my last letter when Ms, Hennig referred to me in her
letter as Mr. P instead of using my name, it robs me of my identity.
It makes me a symbol and makes it easier to dismiss my opinions or
feclings.

Similarly, the last person in my mernory who referred to me simp-
ly as ‘'Pequin”’ as Mr. Lainsbury dots throughout his letter was a.
school yard bully, ie. ‘‘Pequin get over here’: I’m: sure ‘some -
people may be able to identify with this feeling. Maybe not all, but
that’s their righ.

I’m starting to feel uncomfortable as I don’t wish to burt anyone. 1
-know that: Mr, Lainsbury and Ms.: ‘Hennig: are acting. ‘out of good
conscience and I don’t wish to make fun of them. ‘My sociology
professor has pointed out that people from an urban background
“may sec things differently than sonicone with a. tural background
such as myself. .

I simply don’t expect anything bad to to happen and react according-

. ly, Tadmire anyone who will stand up and speak out for what they
believe ine I do know one ‘thing, will ‘always ‘know who Mare

Lepine is as a result of this dialogue so perhaps: this ‘has all been

- valuable, The best. to all in. nthe New Year and may God bless.

John Pequin,
Ls Terrace, B, C.

THE START IS FOR PEOPLE F LEARNING To READ |

_ The Start |

wa
More than 40 moose have been hit by vehicles in nthe rast
month, .
One of the worst spots is around Onioi Lake on the way ‘to
Kitimat.
And 18 moose ‘have been kite b
couple were hit last year...
“Moose like to use highways and rall lites when there i isa lot
of ‘snow. That’s because the highways and rail, lines have
been cleared off, = =
Some of the moose meat. is going to. needy. people, ‘And

ins in this. area, Only a

* somo of the meat goes to people who cannot cat beef for
medical reasons, ee