Three fishermen drowned in the Vitebsk region over the weekend
In the Vitebsk region, three ice fishing enthusiasts drowned over the past weekend, reports the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The first accident occurred on the evening of March 7 on Lake Osvyeykoye in the Verkhnedvinsk district. Here, 4 people fell through the ice. Two managed to get out on their own, while their companions, residents of Polotsk and Novopolotsk, drowned. The survivors, diagnosed with "general hypothermia," were admitted to the hospital.
The next tragedy occurred on the afternoon of March 8 on the Druyka River near the village of Dubki, Braslav district. An eyewitness reported a drowning person to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. It turned out that a resident of the Braslav district drowned in an ice hole about 40 meters from the shore while fishing. Divers later found his body.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations warns: if the zero temperature persists for more than three days, the ice strength decreases by 25%, and if water appears on it, the load-bearing capacity decreases by 2-3 times. Today, the ice on water bodies is very thin - 3-5 cm. It is safe to go on the ice if its thickness reaches at least 10 cm.