For nearly two months, the frozen Emajõgi provided plenty of opportunities for sports and excitement. However, as February draws to a close, the prolonged sub-zero temperatures have been replaced by values above the freezing point, and ice conditions are becoming increasingly hazardous, not least on fast-moving bodies of water like rivers.

The Rescue Board had, in any case, earlier in the week issued a warning against going out on the Emajõgi River ice. On Friday, the board, in cooperation with the City of Tartu, also installed signs warning of the dangers.

That same day, while monitoring ice conditions near the Kaarsild, a rescuer wearing full safety equipment, including suitable clothing, a safety line and ice spikes, fell through the ice near the Kaarsild Bridge in central Tartu. The entire incident was captured on camera.

The rescuer, Tauri Tadolder, had been checking ice conditions at the time, and while he made it out, that process was not an easy one, even for Tadolder.

The current carries you downstream quite quickly, and even a rescuer cannot fight against it. Getting back onto the ice was quite challenging. Under your body weight, the ice sinks, breaks, then you fall in again. It is precisely this current that tries to force you under the ice, and once you end up there, there is no chance of survival," Tadolder said.

The Rescue Center has not yet imposed a blanket ban on going onto the ice, hoping the public will act responsibly as temperatures rise above zero, even at night.

However, Southern Rescue Center prevention bureau chief Arvi Uustalu told "Aktuaalne kaamera" that the authority does not rule out such a ban coming into force as early as next week.

According to Uustalu, rescuers have the right to order members of the public to leave the ice. "We can also use police assistance. If someone fails to comply with an order, resists, or insults an official, the police can initiate misdemeanor proceedings," he explained.

"In the city of Tartu, bridges should be used to cross the river. There are skating rinks built on dry land for skating. People should no longer go onto the river, it is dangerous," Uustalu went on.

Roman Meeksa, head of Tartu City Transport, reiterated the warning. "So that people who have not yet fully understood the weather conditions would realize that this is life-threatening. The thickness of the ice varies greatly. In some places it may be several dozen centimeters, but just a few meters away it can be only one centimeter thick or absent altogether," Meeksa said.

The Rescue Board says areas of ice around bridges and culverts are especially risky.

The full "Aktuaalne kaamera" segment, including Tadolder's fall into the ice and self-rescue, can be viewed by clicking on the video player below.

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