Members of the Cobourg Fire Department spent Saturday (February 14, 2026) morning ice water rescue training in Cobourg Harbour.
Acting Fire Chief Kevin Ashfield said the annual training allows firefighters to get used to the different rescue techniques in case of an emergency.
With the amount of ice along the lakeshore, Ashfield said it often changes due to changing conditions in the weather.
“Two weeks ago we came down to do some training, but the entire harbour was frozen over and we weren’t able to get any open water so we could practice.”
The ice in Cobourg Harbour on Saturday were “ideal conditions” for training.
“We tell people never to be out on this harbour, never to be out on the sheets of ice, because you never know when it’s going to give way.”
Near where the training was taking place, there was a large crack in the ice, but because firefighters were wearing ice water immersion suits they are safe in the water. But if anyone ever fell in without the proper safety gear it could end in tragedy.
“The ice pack moves underneath the ice and you don’t know how thin or thick it is and at any point when you’re standing on that it could break off.”
Each firefighter is also tied off with a rope to another firefighter on land.
Ashfield said for people to stay off the ice – “as we know, you won’t last long with temperatures like this – it only takes a few minutes for hypothermia to set in.”
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
