PICTURES: Safety fears flagged after reports across Highlands of people venturing on to frozen water
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PEOPLE are being urged to avoid the temptation to go on frozen water after concerns flagged across the Highlands.
Highland Council is supporting national warnings from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, RNLI, ROSPA and Scottish Canals .
The warning was issued this afternoon in response to concerns raised with the local authority by people across the region about people walking or playing on frozen water.
Youths were spotted earlier today endangering themselves by venturing onto a frozen lochan in Inverness.
Youngsters in the Highlands have been warned not to copy them because of the danger of thin ice which could break.
Photos were taken at campus Inverness College UHI and clearly show them standing on the frozen ice.
The site is owned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and a spokeswoman said: "We urge people to stay away from the ice and not to take risks around the frozen lochan at Inverness campus.”
Highland Council reinforced the risks of going onto or allowing children and pets to go onto ice.
According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, more than 50 per cent of all drowning cases involving ice in the UK involved the attempted rescue of another person or a pet.
The SFRS warns that while ice can look and feel solid, it can suddenly crack and cause a person to fall through and potentially become trapped under the ice.
The message is simple: “Please stay off the ice” - but if you find yourself or someone else in trouble, dial 999 and ask for the fire service immediately. Do not attempt to rescue anyone yourself.
For more information on cold water shock, visit the RNLI website at https://rnli.org/safety/know-the-risks/cold-water-shock
For more information on how to stay safe around frozen water, visit https://www.rospa.com/leisure-safety/water/advice/ice.aspx
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