- Grand Ledge officials urge neighbors to stay off the Grand River ice due to dangerous conditions.
- Residents are still braving the brutal cold, finding ways to enjoy the winter despite the freezing temperatures.
- Watch the video above to see how neighbors are braving the brutal cold while staying safe as Grand Ledge officials warn about the dangers of winter ice on the Grand River.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
A brutally cold day here in Grand Ledge.
But it didn't keep everyone inside.
And during this winter blast... a look to the past.
A snowy scene from about 100 years ago, when neighbors went skating on the Grand River.
But that is not the case in my neighborhood right now.
“You never know how think the ice is going to be”
Michael Roman is the fire chief for the Grand Ledge Area Fire Department, and is advising neighbors to stay off the ice on the Grand River.
“We always have to worry about the water running below it. The typography running beneath it is very rough so you never know how thick the ice is going to be.” Said Roman.
City officials warn that that flow of water could carry someone downstream and under the ice. And a potential rescue, would be challenging.
“With ice rescues they are difficult” Said Roman.
Putting on the ice rescue suit that firefighters would need to wear... it’s easy to see why you don’t want to risk falling through the ice.
“So this is what I’d need to survive out on the ice or in the water”
“Correct” Said Roman.
So while Chief Roman says the Grand River isn't the place for winter fun... I found neighbors at Fitzgerald Park making the most of this frozen day.
"Well I had the day off work with the weather conditions, and the kids obviously didn't have school either, decided to take them to go sledding." Said Uriah Megenuph, Grand Ledge neighbor.
Another neighbor, told me she didn't have much of a choice.
“Cooper, he has his three walk a day regime, he’s not going to let me forget that anytime soon” Said Lindsay Steffen, Grand Ledge neighbor.
I've reported in Grand Ledge during the summer heat, and now this icy cold.
I bring it up, because Lindsay Steffen brought up the summer, with a twist.
"I would rather do this than be in the 90s, any day of the week." Said Steffen.
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