Fire Prevention Officer Shane Edwards was among the firefighters who jumped in.

"The biggest thing is to make sure you are out on the ice with a buddy," he said. "If you are out there fishing on your own, make sure you are fishing close enough to someone else so you can have that contact and so they know you are out there."

Edwards said people should realize ice is very unpredictable and is not the same thickness right across the lake. On Jan. 9, a 49-year-old ATV driver went through very thin ice at Big Bay Point. The man did not become submerged and made it to safety of his own accord. The machine was later recovered and no injury occurred to the driver.

"Four inches is good for walking, five is good for a snowmobile and six to eight inches is good for your ice hut," he said.

If a person does fall in, Edwards said they will spend the first three minutes in cold shock.

"It's going to be like a stabbing pain. You are going to be gasping for air, you are going to be hyperventilating and you are going to be panicking. What you have to know that it is going to pass. It's similar to falling in the lake in the middle of the summer. It is just going to last a little longer because it's colder."

It's important not to go into emotional or psychological shock, he said. Many people die in the first three minutes because they panic.

"After three minutes of cold shock, the body regulates itself so you can control your breathing," he said. "The next five minutes are crucial. You need to get yourself out of the water."

After 10 minutes in the water and knowing someone has gone for help, the main goal should be keeping your head above water.

"We suggest that people put their arms on top of the water and keep them there for leverage. Hopefully, your arms will freeze to the top of the ice and they will keep you above the water. We have actually known people who have been kept alive because their beard has stuck to the ice, keeping them above the water."

However, if you are alone, you need to continue to do whatever it takes to get out.

"If you are out in the middle of nowhere and no one knows where you are, you have to do everything you can to get yourself out of there."