Spryte Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 This is not a metaphor. :) Our house backs to a large, beautiful pond. We are technically in a subdivision on a cul de sac, but because of the way it's situated, ours is the only house to back to the pond and woods, and we are very private. We own part of the pond but not all of it. There is one other house with a pond view, far enough away that we can't see them, and I think they own the rest of the pond. We have had snow recently but our temperatures never reach the point at which the pond would be safe for ice skating, IMO. We are in Northern VA. Yesterday our dogs went crazy, barking out the windows. There were two teens, walking down the center of the pond. It's maybe two acres, so not huge but large enough. And deep. My instinct was to go tell them to be safe and get off the thin ice - I could see it was thin - but they were not on our part of the pond. I wasn't sure what to do. So I watched, ready to call 911, till they left. But that felt inadequate. What would you have down? What do you suggest I do next time? (My DH says go yell at them, FWIW, and that's my tentative plan.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) Well, you were taken off guard and didn't know what to do, so it's good you're planning ahead now. I'd plan on going out and yelling at them that it's thin ice and a deep pond. ETA: Even if it's the part not on your property. They might smirk and be embarrassed, but chances are they'll leave. Edited January 10, 2017 by Garga 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) I'd yell at them that the pond hasn't frozen enough and please get off carefully. That you are WATCHING them ready to dial 911. I imagine the embarrassment will chase them off :-) Edited January 10, 2017 by JFSinIL 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Girls' Mom Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I would have yelled at them. I would hope that if my teens were doing something that stupid that someone would yell at them. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Yep, if you see them again, tell them to get off the pond the ice is thin and not safe to walk on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Selkie Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I'm not usually the type to yell at someone, but I would in this case because it could be a matter of life and death. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garga Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Hang on...when I say to yell at them, I don't meant to reprimand them. I just mean to say it loud and clear, hollering across the ice, "Hey, guys! That ice is THIN and the water is DEEP! You need to get off there, carefully! Now! It's not safe!" 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I agree with your dh. Yell at them that the ice isn't safe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MEmama Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Can you post notices at the bank? Can you rope it off in some way? I'd be tempted to post What To Do If You Fall In instructions in addition to Danger Thin Ice signs. 911 isn't likely to get there fast enough even if you did see someone fall through. I might consider contacting the Police, actually, to see what they would recommend. Obviously the kids' safety comes first, but you want to protect yourselves as the homeowners/partial pond owners as well. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 Hang on...when I say to yell at them, I don't meant to reprimand them. I just mean to say it loud and clear, hollering across the ice, "Hey, guys! That ice is THIN and the water is DEEP! You need to get off there, carefully! Now! It's not safe!" Yes, that's what my DH meant by yell, too. I was so surprised to see them on the pond yesterday - I wish I'd said something then, but at least I have a plan now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiewindmomma Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 This might be a great occasion to buy a bull horn. https://www.amazon.com/Megaphone-Bullhorn-Siren-Powerful-Lightweight/dp/B00FP19LAE I'd totally be yelling at those teens. As the parent of a teen, I can tell you that many of lost their ever loving minds and do not gauge risk well. 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Hang on...when I say to yell at them, I don't meant to reprimand them. I just mean to say it loud and clear, hollering across the ice, "Hey, guys! That ice is THIN and the water is DEEP! You need to get off there, carefully! Now! It's not safe!" Yes, this. It's possible they'd ignore you, but you'd have at least warned them. If they did ignore me, (if I were you), I'd still watch and be ready with 911 just in case. But I'd probably also be obvious about it, if I could be, so that my standing there, obviously watching, would speed them towards safety even if my verbal reminder did not. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppy Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) Next time yell. People are super dumb this time of year. Edited to add, see that that's the plan. Good. I might have frozen up too. But i'm on alert now, just saw the paper this morning that a 52 year old guy went though on a snowmobile. Old enough to know WAY better, but, like I said... people are dumb this time of year. Edited January 10, 2017 by poppy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MotherGoose Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 This is like snatching some else's toddler out of the path of an oncoming car without asking permission to touch the child. Yell, whatever you have to do. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Yup. I Would yell, not as a reprimand, but as an alert. "you need to get off the pond now! The ice is thin and not safe!" Incidentally, I have a memory of walking on thin ice with some friends when we were around 13 yo. Nobody got hurt - and it seems like a funny memory now - but my friend, Stephanie, was about 20 feet out from the shore when a huge "PONG," rang out. A big crack errupted and she turned and pelted for the shore. She did start breaking through and got immersed up to her thigh. Young people generally are poor judges of sturdiness of ice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wintermom Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 You may want to put up signs warning about thin ice. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 I'm liking the thin ice signs, too. Great idea! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 This is not a metaphor. :) Our house backs to a large, beautiful pond. We are technically in a subdivision on a cul de sac, but because of the way it's situated, ours is the only house to back to the pond and woods, and we are very private. We own part of the pond but not all of it. There is one other house with a pond view, far enough away that we can't see them, and I think they own the rest of the pond. We have had snow recently but our temperatures never reach the point at which the pond would be safe for ice skating, IMO. We are in Northern VA. Yesterday our dogs went crazy, barking out the windows. There were two teens, walking down the center of the pond. It's maybe two acres, so not huge but large enough. And deep. My instinct was to go tell them to be safe and get off the thin ice - I could see it was thin - but they were not on our part of the pond. I wasn't sure what to do. So I watched, ready to call 911, till they left. But that felt inadequate. What would you have down? What do you suggest I do next time? (My DH says go yell at them, FWIW, and that's my tentative plan.) Go out and yell at them. In a kind way. My ds and a friend of his had a blast over Christmas on a frozen river. It was fine--nothing happened, and they were safe. But I was appalled, and I had a serious discussion with ds about the dangers as well as the difficulties of responding if the ice did break. Sometimes teenagers are stupid. (Sometimes adults are stupid, too.) They're just silly kids thinking it's fun and cool to be on the ice. Go be Neighborly Aunt Spryte and get them off the ice. If you can, you might take it a step further and try to connect with them and educate them as well. Your choice. Either way, I wouldn't hesitate to do what it takes to get them off the ice no matter who "owns" it. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
school17777 Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Our local park with a lake posted a picture today of the ice and said that it needs to be at least 4 inches thick to be safe to be on and it is less an inch currently. Also, I'd let them know they are trespassing on private property, in addition to being unsafe. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenmom5 Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 make sure you and your neighbors all have phone numbers for starters. then go yell, that the ice isn't thick enough to be on, and it once it's breaks it's too late. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoobie Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Do you have a neighborhood email chain or FB group where you can post something asking people to please remind their children the ice is thin and unsafe? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chicagoshannon Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Do these kids belong to the neighbors? I might go talk to the neighbors and let them know what happened. If the kids belong to them they'll be able to deal with it. If not, then at least they'd be aware to keep vigilant also. I imagine it would be a liability issue as well as a safety issue for you. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soror Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 Before or after I flipped my lid? That is so amazingly dangerous and stupid I'd harass the kids until they got off. I was just discussing this with my own kids, I'm a pretty low key momma but this is absolutely not ok, no way, never, ever, never!!!! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 10, 2017 Author Share Posted January 10, 2017 Before or after I flipped my lid? That is so amazingly dangerous and stupid I'd harass the kids until they got off. I was just discussing this with my own kids, I'm a pretty low key momma but this is absolutely not ok, no way, never, ever, never!!!! I know, I was so upset. :( I don't know these two kids, or where they live. Or I'd have already spoken to their parents. At least next time I won't be so shocked that I'm frozen, but I'm also afraid I won't see it next time. My kids got an earful, that's for sure, but they have heard it before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lauraw4321 Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 I'd be concerned that it's an attractive nuisance and that you could be liable. Does your insurance policy cover the pond and any liability associated with it? 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomatHWTK Posted January 10, 2017 Share Posted January 10, 2017 (edited) I'd probably call the non-emergency line of my local fire/police and ask them to do a safety check. My DH would approach the kids directly. Edited January 10, 2017 by MomatHWTK 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 I'd be concerned that it's an attractive nuisance and that you could be liable. Does your insurance policy cover the pond and any liability associated with it? I'll have to check on that. Good point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I grew up in Reston, VA (so, also NoVA), and we had a number of small residential lakes that sometimes froze well enough to skate/walk on . . . but, of course, other times, they were dangerous . . . At least once every couple years, some teenager died on a semi-frozen lake . . . We were trained early and carefully NEVER to go on frozen lakes/ponds unless someone who knew what they were doing had verified the ice was plenty thick enough . . . If I were you, and I saw what you saw, I'd be out there yelling at them to get off the pond and off your property . . . If the kids "belonged" to a neighborhood house, I'd march over and ring the bell and be sure the adults in the house knew what happened. If the kids resisted leaving, I'd call 911 in a heartbeat. I'd have my cell phone out the entire time, ready to call 911 if the kids resisted or there was a crisis. I'd be obnoxious and demanding and make the kids very reluctant to ever pull a repeat performance. Teens are stupid, but there's no reason to WATCH them do something that could kill them. Watching and waiting to call 911 is NOT responsible, IMHO. Once they go under the ice, it's very often too late to save them, even if someone is right there when it happens! Besides all the "right thing to do" . . . you own the pond . . . You could easily be hit with legal and financial liability if someone drowns out there . . . 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted January 11, 2017 Author Share Posted January 11, 2017 Yep, StephanieZ, I totally agree that I should have gone out and yelled to them. I am surprised that I was so taken aback that I didn't react differently. I was so shocked. There's a plan for the next time, if it comes up. I'll be out there with my phone talking to them, and if they get off on my side of the pond I will be finding out where they live. And speaking to their parents. I'm going to post signs and talk to more parents, too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wapiti Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 I will go out of my way to avoid confronting teenagers but in this case, sure I'd yell, literally and metaphorically. I agree with posting a message to any neighborhood message boards or such that you might have. Last year there was a tragedy in the next town over, more than one teen lost his life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellesmere Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Yep, StephanieZ, I totally agree that I should have gone out and yelled to them. I am surprised that I was so taken aback that I didn't react differently. I was so shocked. There's a plan for the next time, if it comes up. I'll be out there with my phone talking to them, and if they get off on my side of the pond I will be finding out where they live. And speaking to their parents. I'm going to post signs and talk to more parents, too. I would have been too taken aback to say anything at first, probably. I always feel like I think of the perfect thing to say an hour after the ship has sailed. Out of likes, but I like a lot of the suggestions. Where I live, I might be uncomfortable saying anything to the kids directly but depending on the situation, I would also call the non-emergency line (or emergency if I knew it was going to be one). Also depending on the situation, I'd send out a local neighbor to deal with them. The signs and chatting is also what I'd be doing, and if I were concerned about liability I'd be photographing and documenting for my records. Good luck with everything! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tasha Posted January 11, 2017 Share Posted January 11, 2017 Sadly, a missing younger child was just found under the ice in a pond here locally. :-( Law enforcement said they didn't look in the pond closely at first because they didn't see a break in the surface. I know these teens were older, but stuff happens so fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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