Thinning ice, like the kind seen here recently on Breakheart Reservation’s€ Lower Pond in Saugus, presents a danger to anyone trying to walk on it. State officials say be sure to consider all the factors before walking out on any ice-covered body of water.
Thinning ice, like the kind seen here recently on Breakheart Reservation’s€ Lower Pond in Saugus, presents a danger to anyone trying to walk on it. State officials say be sure to consider all the factors before walking out on any ice-covered body of water. Credit: MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION AND RECREATION/RYAN HUTTON

An unseasonably warm winter has prompted state officials to warn the public about the dangers associated with walking on ice over bodies of water, including lakes, ponds, reservoirs, streams, and rivers. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation recommends people stay off all ice as the thickness of ice can vary from “a foot thick in one spot (to) an inch thick in another” with little noticeable distinction. 

Multiple rescues across the state have prompted the warning, including two in Spencer and Sturbridge on Sunday. On Tuesday morning, emergency responders in Leverett and Shutesbury rescued an 11-year-old Husky that fell through thin ice in the middle of Leverett Pond. 

“The winter season offers unique outdoor recreational opportunities for the public to enjoy, including ice fishing, ice skating, and snowmobiling,” DCR said in a statement. “Unfortunately, year after year state and local officials receive and respond to reports of individuals falling through thin ice.”

The warning comes from safety officials within the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Massachusetts State Police, the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, and the Department of Fire Services.