‘Shocking!’ Teens risk their lives on icy pond in Horncastle

Jonathan Schofield was walking his dog over the weekend when he noticed orange rubber rings and logs in the middle of the frozen pond.

He shared a picture on the Horncastle Community Page which saw many residents condemn the behaviour of those responsible.

One even said she had seen a group of teenagers throwing slabs of ice and walking on the pond.

Mr Schofield said: “If I had seen them doing it, I would have told them to stop.

“You just don’t know how deep the water is.

“And what happens if someone needs the life rings?

“I remember being at school and we had a talk about walking on frozen waterways and how dangerous it is.

“They should think about the impact on the people they leave behind if something were to happen.

“It is not you that will be impacted by the loss - it is those that you leave behind.

“I know they just want to have fun and have a laugh

“But with the rubber rings on the icy pond, you are putting your life in your own hands retrieving them.”

Mr Schofield feels that children and young adults in the town would benefit from a recreational area - such as a skate park or recreational area.

He said: “We need to give the kids something to do and use - somewhere they can call their own.

“I also think there should be more intervention at school.

“It is very much a community effort though - everyone needs to know the dangers of playing on frozen water.

“If lakes freeze more often, and it becomes more of a regular thing, schools definitely need to educate pupils.

“It is just so shocking - it curdles my blood thinking about it.”

Other Facebook users on the Horncastle Community Page have also echoed the views of Mr Schofield.

Karen Rinfret said: “We have just been up there with our dog and we couldn’t believe what they were doing.

“Throwing large slabs of ice and trying to walk on the frozen lake amongst other things - they are totally oblivious of what could happen.”

Caitlin Owen added: “They won’t learn until it becomes a tragedy.”

Justine Harper said: “Stuff like this is only going to end up in disaster.”

A police spokesman said: “We would urge parents to ensure they know where their children are, and what they are doing.

“There are grave dangers in walking on frozen water when temperatures stay around freezing, so please take extra care and keep away from 
frozen waterways.

“While the frozen surface may look enticing as a skating opportunity, the ice is a very dangerous place.

“Dog owners should consider keeping their pets on a lead when around frozen rivers or lakes.

“Dogs are a part of the family, so keep them safe too.

“It’s extremely dangerous if people venture on to ice without knowing how deep the water is below them and particularly how thick or, in most cases, how thin the ice is they are standing on.”