Frozen Lake Offers Brick Police An Ice Rescue Training Opportunity

BRICK, NJ — Brick Township police made the most of the cold weather on Friday by putting officers through training for ice water rescues.

With bodies of water around the state becoming iced over, there have been multiple instances of people and pet dogs falling through unsafe ice.

The police department's Marine Unit headed to Lake Riviera Park on Friday to put its personnel and equipment to work.

The police department also issued this reminder:

"As we embrace the winter season, we want to remind everyone: please do NOT walk or venture out onto the ice," police said. "Your safety is our top priority, and icy conditions can be unpredictable. Let’s enjoy the beauty of winter while staying safe! Stay warm, everyone!"

The Ocean County Sheriff's Office issued an alert Thursday urging people to stay off iced-over bodies of water locally because the ice is unsafe.

"As tempting as it may seem to step onto a frozen body of water, it can be DEADLY," fire officials in Toms River said in a warning to their residents. "Even when the ice looks solid, it can be unpredictable, and thin ice might not hold your weight."

Ice on bodies of water can be different thicknesses, especially where there are currents moving under the ice. Changes in temperature can create differences in the thickness as well, officials said. Both can make the ice more prone to cracking.

The dangers posed by currents and ice on the water were part of the reasons that some organizations were expressing caution about rescuing a fox that was caught on a floating jetski dock over the weekend on Barnegat Bay. Read more: Fox Trapped On Floating Dock In Barnegat Bay Safe, Rescuer Says

A person who falls into frigid water can succumb to hypothermia quickly and drown, officials said.