Do not walk on ice

The city of Jena urgently warns against entering frozen bodies of water in the city area. This includes in particular the Saale river as well as stagnant waters and ponds. In the past few days, children and young people have repeatedly been observed on the ice. This is highly dangerous: the ice cover is currently not stable and could collapse at any time.

"What looks stable from the outside can give way within seconds. Anyone who collapses is in acute mortal danger. Flowing waters like the Saale are particularly treacherous. Currents, changing water depths and milder areas under the ice mean that the ice cover is uneven and often much thinner than it appears," emphasizes Mayor and Head of Safety Benjamin Koppe.

The city is appealing to parents, schools, after-school care centers and all supervisors to explicitly inform children and young people of the ban on walking on the ice. Just a few steps on the ice can be enough to break in.

Anyone who observes that a person has broken into the ice should call the emergency services immediately and not put themselves in danger.

• Emergency call: 112
• Do not go onto the ice, keep your distance and help from the shore if possible (e.g. with a branch, pole, scarf or rope - without stepping onto the ice).

The city of Jena asks all citizens to take information from the surrounding area seriously and to intervene if they see people on the ice - especially children - to speak to them and make them aware of the danger.