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Some bodies of water in Berlin are currently frozen over due to the permafrost - but entering them is life-threatening according to the DLRG (German Lifesaving Society)
"There are certainly no load-bearing ice surfaces in Berlin at the moment," spokesman Michael Neiße told the German Press Agency on Wednesday.
An ice surface is considered load-bearing when it is 15 to 20 centimetres thick - but even then, people can still break in at certain points. Neiße explained: "Especially in Berlin, many lakes and rivers have underground inflows." In these places, the ice can be significantly thinner. In general, there is no approval for ice surfaces in Berlin. "You have to listen to your own instincts," says the spokesman. If you can hear the ice cracking, you should never walk on it.
On Wednesday, people were playing ice hockey and skated on the frozen-over Engelbecken in Kreuzberg. The Lietzensee in Charlottenburg was also covered in a layer of ice. If a person breaks through the ice, the fire department must be called as quickly as possible, said Neiße. Until the emergency services arrive, rescuers could try to keep the person on the surface of the water, if possible with the help of a branch or a ladder. The DLRG spokesperson warned that the ice should never be stepped on.