Epiphany

Epiphany

According to tradition, on Epiphany night from January 18 to 19, thousands of people perform one of the main rituals of the holiday - plunging into an ice hole. As a rule, places for Epiphany bathing are equipped with everything necessary: wooden decking for access to the ice, handrails and steps for entering the water. However, everyone who decides to plunge into the ice hole should know and follow safety measures.

The swimming pool is equipped at a sufficient distance from the shore, and the ice thickness should be at least 25 cm. In order for swimming to be safe, it is unacceptable to go out on the ice in groups of more than 5–10 people (to avoid sudden collapse of the ice). In severe frost, when the skin of your hands can stick to metal and even wood, you should prepare a towel in advance by placing it on the handrails of the stairs so that you can hold them with your bare hands when leaving.

When swimming in ice water, the following SAFETY MEASURES must be observed:

  • do not dive under the ice; do not push people into the water
  • do not swim alone, without the insurance of your comrades;
  • do not swim in a hypothermic state;
  • Stop swimming if there are bruises, cuts, sudden weakness, stiffness of movements, severe pain in the fingers, general hypothermia.
  • avoid the accumulation of a large number of swimmers in the ice hole and prevent spectators from crowding around the ice hole;
  • Do not drink alcohol under any circumstances, because intoxication masks the effects of cold on the human body.

It is not recommended to dive into the ice hole for people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system, especially coronary heart disease, or those who have suffered a myocardial infarction. In such cases, you should refrain from swimming in an ice hole and replace this procedure with washing at home (for example, with blessed water or even tap water).

  • The Kurchum district emergency department urges citizens to refrain from swimming in unequipped places - this can be life-threatening!

 

Emergency Department of Kurchum district