Provincial police are urging the public to use extreme caution near any surface that may appear to be frozen.
While temperatures have been very low, the Ontario Provincial Police said ice that appears thick may be deceptive. Ice can be affected by many factors including temperature, currents, age of the ice, pressure cracks, and snow cover.
Authorities said venturing onto lakes, ponds or reservoirs can easily have fatal results.
“The temperature of the water is cold enough to take away your breath, leading people to panic and then drown,” the OPP said in a news release. Once submerged, your arms and legs go numb which make it impossible to swim.”
The cold temperatures can also lead to hypothermia and the possibility of heart failure.
Local residents are reminded to always make safety a priority and that “no ice is safe ice.”