An urgent warning from Pittsburgh EMS: Stay off the ice.<\/p>\n
Video from over the weekend shows people venturing out onto Pittsburgh\u2019s frozen rivers, but public safety leaders say it\u2019s never a good idea.<\/p>\n
Ranging from a man evading police on the frozen Allegheny River to visitors at Point State Park, people just could not seem to stay off the ice.<\/p>\n
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Suspect in custody after walking up frozen Allegheny River for hours<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOver the weekend, we got several emergency alerts for people walking on the ice,\u201d Pittsburgh EMS Chief Amera Gilchrist said.<\/p>\n Pittsburgh\u2019s frozen rivers are attracting a lot of attention.<\/p>\n PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Man arrested after walking on frozen river; experts explain how much danger he was in<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think the immediate public understands the dangers of walking along the ice,\u201d Gilchrist said. \u201cIt takes about four to five inches of solid ice to be able to hold an adult person and there\u2019s no way to tell the thickness of the ice and which places the ice is thicker or thinner.\u201d<\/p>\n Chief Gilchrist says one wrong step could send you into the water and under the ice.<\/p>\n \u201cThe water is moving, is actively moving, so it\u2019s very easy to fall through the ice and get swept away,\u201d Gilchrist said.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t take long for hypothermia to set in.<\/p>\n \u201cIt could take less than 10 minutes for someone to actually become hypothermic enough to be in a state that the effects are irreversible,\u201d Gilchrist said.<\/p>\n That makes it dangerous for first responders, too.<\/p>\n \u201cOur first responders have to put their lives on the line to help you and it\u2019s not fair to them to have to put themselves in danger just because you think it\u2019s a fun activity,\u201d Gilchrist said. \u201cLet\u2019s keep the walking on the ice and skating on the ice to the ice rinks — places that are actually meant for those activities.\u201d<\/p>\n While Pittsburgh Police said it is not illegal to walk on the frozen rivers, officials stress it is not worth the risk to your life or others.<\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n