'No Such Thing As Safe Ice,' Coast Guard Official Warns

(CBS) – With warmer temperatures ahead, safety officials are warning that ice covering ponds will become even more unstable.

Friday could be in the 60s, and that means things can get dangerous quickly, CBS 2's Sandra Torres reports.

"There's no such thing as safe ice," said U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott Fischer.

That's why a Coast Guard team conducts ice-rescue training at Wilmette harbor -- to prepare for the worst.

"The response time we have to get to get to a victim in the ice has to be very efficient, as survival time is not in the victim's favor," Fischer says.

Earlier this week, an 85-year-old man died when his ATV fell through the ice in Essex, Ill. On Monday a man almost died when his snowmobile plunged into the Nipperskink Lake in the far northern suburbs.

"At this point there should be no reason to be enjoying recreational activities on the lake," Fischer says.

A common myth is that thick ice is strong. If there is snow on ice, it could be acting as an insulator.

If someone falls into frozen water, never go in to try to rescue them. Call 9-1-1 so that trained professionals can do their job.