Dangers of ice fishing in spring

[Anchor]

As the season of spring begins and the thawing period arrives, the risk of safety accidents on ice is increasing.

There are still many anglers ice fishing, but even if the ice looks thick, there is a risk of it breaking, so special caution is needed.

Lee Yu-jin reports.

[Report]

Anglers have set up their spots on the frozen river.

They brought drills and ice picks to make fishing holes in the ice, and they are striking the ice with metal rods.

They even cook on a burner set up on the ice.

[Ice Fisherman/Voice Altered: "I caught about ten fish. Those people over there are camping out in their tent and fishing all night."]

This angler has ventured about 100 meters into the center of the river.

He has no safety equipment at all, yet he claims there is no worry about the ice breaking.

[Ice Fisherman/Voice Altered: "(Don't you think it's dangerous?) The ice is so thick, it must be about 30 cm thick, right?"]

Despite a "No Entry" banner due to the risk of breaking ice, the anglers are undeterred.

The current temperature here is 6 degrees Celsius.

As the temperature rises, the ice is melting, increasing the risk of it breaking.

Experts warn that this time of year, when daytime temperatures rise above freezing, is the most dangerous.

Although the ice appears solid on the surface, it is likely that cracks have formed due to the repeated melting and freezing.

[Lee Jeong-hyun/Hongcheon Fire Station Firefighter: "The density of the ice deteriorates, causing the surface to crack and weaken, leading to a very dangerous situation. If you fall into the icy water at this time, you could suffer from hypothermia, which is very dangerous."]

In the past five years, over 70 people have lost their lives in rivers or lakes during the thawing period in February.

This is KBS News, Lee Yu-jin.