Each season here in the mountains comes with its own hazards, eliciting cautionary tales and warnings that become common knowledge shared across generations. With the changing of each season comes new dangers to be aware of, especially as winter wanes and the snow and ice melts, giving way to spring.

As bright blue skies coax us into false senses of security, it’s best to remember to stay aware when the weather begins to get warmer. Eleven year old Ziylah learned the hard way that Spring has arrived when she stepped out onto the ice at the fishing pond at Chipeta Park to save her dog and she fell through.

When the family dog Brownie fell through the thin ice close to the edge of the pond, Ziylah didn’t hesitate to go out onto the ice after him. Unfortunately, the ice had become dangerously thin due to the warm weather, as the incident occurred early in April, and Ziylah fell instantly through.

“I tried to scream but my body was heavy because of my snow pants and I kept sinking under,” Ziylah told The Mountain-Ear. “But I kept my arm above water and was waving for help.”

Luckily Ziylah was saved by a young person who didn’t hesitate and calmly and carefully pulled her out of the ice and back to safety. The person wished to remain anonymous, however Ziylah, and her father Will, were sure to acknowledge them and their heroic deeds.

According to the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Forest Service (USFS) if you witness someone falling through the ice “the first thing to do is STOP. The rescuer needs to stay calm and have a plan.”

The rescuer must keep themselves safe, as dry as possible, assess the ice around the victim, and assess whether there are any other victims in the water.

The USDA suggests attempting to reach the victim with a long pole, board, rope, blanket, or jumper cables, and/or to build a human chain by each person lying on the ice and grasping the feet of the person in front of them, with a final person anchoring themselves on shore. It was mentioned that “once on the ice, roll away from the weak or broken ice; do not attempt to stand up.”

It’s important to be able to indicate the signs of hypothermia, which include difficulty speaking, slow and shallow breathing, shivering, exhaustion, irrational behavior, hallucinations, forgetfulness, dilated pupils, skin turning blue, confusion, rigidity of muscles, dizziness, and nausea.

If the person is not breathing, start CPR immediately, keep the victim from direct contact with the ground, remove all wet clothing, and keep the victim warm while being sure not to confine them.

“Don’t apply direct heat or use hot water, heating pads or a heating lamp to warm the victim,” the USDA states. “Apply warm towels to the neck, chest wall and groin. Don’t attempt to warm the arms and legs. Heat applied to the arms and legs forces cold blood back toward the heart, lungs and brain, causing the core body temperature to drop. This can be fatal.”

Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) offer these safety tips concerning ice on their website, https://cpw.state. co.us.

Be aware of ice and weather conditions; use the “buddy system”; always wear a life jacket or floatation device; always bring ice picks and a whistle; and keep pets on a leash at all times. CPW also noted that those attempting to rescue someone who has fallen through the ice should first attempt to throw the person a floatation device or rope from the shore.

Those who have fallen through the ice should: try to stay calm; act slowly and deliberately to conserve heat and energy; try not to swim; try to get their arms onto the ice; and, if managing to get out of the ice, keep their upper body above water.

Ziylah and Will are beyond gracious that a young hero was there to act quickly and efficiently to save her from what could’ve been a great tragedy. Luckily Ziylah’s story has a happy ending, but it is still a cautionary tale, reminding us all to be attentive and prepared as the seasons change.