If you're planning on getting outside this winter, be sure the ice is safe for you and your companions before you attempt to cross it. 

Ray Duma, Senior River Patrol Officer with the Winnipeg Police Service, spoke with us about the dangers of treading ice before it is safe to do so. He suggests personally testing ice to make sure to do so if it hasn't been already. You can always call ahead to different locations to ensure your safety. 

Should you come across a dangerous situation, Duma explains what should happen next, "If you do come upon someone who has entered the water, we suggest that you do not go out to the victim. Call 911 as soon as you see someone in danger. If you have something you can throw to them...rope... a ladder...anything that does create distance from yourself to the victim. We recommend no one goes out to the victim because more often than not the person trying to rescue the victim becomes the victim."

Should you fall into the water, there are still a few things he explained that you can do to get back to safety. 

"If you do fall through, you will go through a little bit of a shock because of the cold water. What we suggest is just control your breathing, try not to ingest any water. Get your hands up on top of the ice and kick, kick, kick with your feet. You're going to want to roll once you get out. After you roll, crawl for a short distance. Then once you're clear enough away from the hole, then get up and walk. But certainly, don't walk if you have broken through the ice and got out because if you break through again you won't have the strength to get out a second time."

If you stumble upon an unfortunate animal or pet, he urges you not to try to save the creature.

"My opinion on that is you don't want to endanger yourself for a pet or someone else's pet. Certainly, call 911. Go get the pros out there. Their risk is minimal compared to yours. They have the training, expertise, and equipment. So call 911, wait on shore, then direct the emergency personnel to where the accident is."

Ice safety isn't something we all don't know about, but it's important to remind people and children of the dangers that could happen if one is not careful, especially around retention ponds. Ray Duma says, "It happens every year... a retention pond that is a foot to two feet of ice can be worn down if there is a discharge for a water main break. We recommend that everybody stay off the frozen waterways.

"We recommend teachers keep informing their students at risk to stay off these frozen waterways. We certainly do not want misfortune."

Duma suggests there is plenty of ice to skate and plenty of ice for people to walk on in the Winnipeg area. Anywhere outside of the city of Winnipeg should be considered dangerous.