NYFalls.com Talk

from: http://www.artofmanliness.com/

We were hiking up the Five Cascades area in Kaaterskill Gorge one winter. One of the people I was with fell through. Luckily he had chest waders on, and the water wasn't that deep, but it was a scary few minutes. He essentially broke through the ice and fell straight down, up to his armpits. He got himself out, but there was no way for any of us to get to him easily.

If you throw a victim a rope, have them wrap it around their wrist. If they become hypothermic and unresponsive, at least you can hold them above the water. Don't pull unless the victim can kick their legs behind them, otherwise you will break their ribs. When travelling over ice, I carry one-inch dowels with nails embedded in the ends for use as ice spikes.