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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that anyone taking a small child onto the middle of a frozen lake

74 replies

Reluctant1stimer · 11/01/2010 20:42

Should face charges of some kind?
The front of my local newspaper today showed a photo of a couple far far out on the ice with a very small child or baby in a back carrier! They were so far out in fact that the paper had the photo blown up so you could make out this poor child because the distance shot was too far away. I am gobsmacked.

OP posts:
MmeLindt · 11/01/2010 20:44

Depends on the lake.

Original poster
Reluctant1stimer · 11/01/2010 20:50

Well it's 70 feet deep

OP posts:
Morloth · 11/01/2010 20:51

No, just an honourable mention on the Darwin Awards.

MmeLindt · 11/01/2010 20:58

Not the depth of the lake that is important but the thickness of the ice.

Original poster
Reluctant1stimer · 11/01/2010 21:00

Was it you or something?

OP posts:
edam · 11/01/2010 21:01

MmeLindt, think you are being a tad picky there...

Reluctant, yes, clearly they are barking. I think the idea of charging them with anything (what, exactly?) is a bit extreme. Hopefully being held up for the idiots they are in the local paper might make them think on.

wasabipeanut · 11/01/2010 21:03

It's not illegal to be a complete moron.

Sadly.

MmeLindt · 11/01/2010 21:05

Why is it picky? Either the ice is thick enough to be walked on or it is not. Although I suppose that deeper lakes are more unlikely to freeze over so completely.

I don't see that it is possible to judge whether someone is being irresponsible when we don't know how thick the ice was, whether it is common to walk on this lake when it freezes, if there were warning signs.

We have had a couple of threads like this and I don't think that it is a problem to walk on a frozen lake if it is known to be safe.

StewieGriffinsMom · 11/01/2010 21:09

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

edam · 11/01/2010 21:10

'known to be safe' by whom and how, exactly? How many people in this country are experienced lake-walkers?

Original poster
Reluctant1stimer · 11/01/2010 21:11

well I think this is wrong.

OP posts:
mrsjuan · 11/01/2010 21:12

I have no problem with people walking on 'officially' thick ice but would never, ever in a million years put my baby in a back carrier to do so.

PacificDogwood · 11/01/2010 21:13

Me, me, me!! I learnt to skate on a frozen lake.

HOWEVER, this was in the States, -10 to -20C for 1-3 months every winter.
There was an official "lake opening" every winter and the thickness of ice was being monitored.

I would not let my DCs anywhere near a frozen lake here though...

DaisymooSteiner · 11/01/2010 21:13

The only way of knowing for sure whether ice is thick enough to walk on is when you get to the bank alive rather than in a body bag.

MmeLindt · 11/01/2010 21:13

Known to be safe - by this I mean that there are lakes that regularly freeze over completely. I walked on such a lake in Austria, the Toplitzsee which is regulary used as a skating rink.

Original poster
Reluctant1stimer · 11/01/2010 21:14

StewieGriffinsMom
are there many ice rinks with 70 feet deep lakes under them in England then?

OP posts:
MmeLindt · 11/01/2010 21:15

Ok, if you had posted that pic in your OP then I would have agreed with you that the couple are nuts who should at least be given a stern talking to. Is it grounds for prosecution? No idea, but seriously stupid.

StewieGriffinsMom · 11/01/2010 21:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

lisad123wantsherquoteinDM · 11/01/2010 21:17

well they are bunch of idiots, i mean how daft

itchyandscratchy · 11/01/2010 21:17

Is there anywhere in the UK really that is known to be 'safe' enough to shuffle across with a baby in your backpack? (apart from the Cairngorms or somesuch)

How many deaths on frozen lakes have you heard about in the last week? I can think of at least 3

This is completely bonkers.

StewieGriffinsMom · 11/01/2010 21:18

This reply has been deleted

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PacificDogwood · 11/01/2010 21:19

And then there is the Engadin Skimarathon across the frozen lake at Silvaplana in Switzerland!

foxinsocks · 11/01/2010 21:19

with all the snow and ice we've had recently, I'm amazed that everyone can tell they are walking on ponds. Big ones I can understand but I went for a walk last week and honestly could not tell the difference between a pond I knew was there and the land on the side! There must have been ice on the pond then a layer of snow on top!

Hulababy · 11/01/2010 21:19

Think abroad on properly monitored lakes, that are used regularly as ice rinks, etc is very very different to walking n frozen lakes in the UK, after a couple of weeks of snow.

These people are risking not only their own lives, but the lives of others - int his case, their baby. But also the lives of those who have to come and try to rescue them if the worst should happen.

It is selfish, stupid and reckless.

My neighbour is in mountain rescue and people really do stupid things in this weather, and are so totally inexperienced in being in this weather nor or they prepared should the worst things happen. Selfish, selfish, selfish!

MmeLindt · 11/01/2010 21:20

There are several lochs that are used for curling in Scotland when the weather is cold enough. Piper Dam near Dundee, Lake Montieth, Loch Leven.

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