As winter closes in on southwest Saskatchewan with eager arms, waterway safety is a big issue once again.

Ice on waterways around the area is still fragile and not suitable to support much weight at this time of year.

Deputy Fire Chief Peter L'Heureux, said that people need to be cautious around the ice at the moment.

"We are seeing some significant cold, but we're not having the water temperature change in relation to [the air temperature,] so there is still warmer water and still thin ice."

He suggested people stay off of the ice until long lengths of cold weather can provide a deeper freeze.

Four inches of ice is needed to support a person safely, and around 12 inches is required to support a heavy truck.

L'Heureux said that the bulk of their calls to ice rescues originate from major waterways outside of Swift Current, as local waterways are mostly shallow enough where people can typically get themselves out of harm's way.

"If we're going for a rescue to the nearest major waterways we would be approximately 50 kilometres [away.]"

"Often times, in that time frame, people have either rescued themselves, or somebody else has assisted in a rescue, getting them away from the ice or the hole in the ice."

L'Heureux shared life-saving tips on how to get yourself out of the ice.

"Keep your head above water, keep moving, and swim towards the shore or the edge of the ice so that you can get yourself propped up on it, flatten yourself out on it as flat as possible, and slide yourself across the ice surface."

After leaving the water, you should safely get off the ice and into someplace warm.

If you are taking a vehicle out on the ice, stay away from cracks and make sure to measure the depth of the ice.