Don’t walk on the icy Potomac River. If you fall in, here’s how fast hypothermia sets in

Icy temperatures continue, and walking on ice can be just as dangerous as playing with fire.

Several people were caught on camera walking on the icy Potomac River over the weekend, raising safety concerns.

“You know, it’s the same thing I did as a kid. You don’t think about it. You see fun and you want to take part in it,” said Richard Schaffer, master pilot on D.C.’s fireboat.

Schaffer described what happens when someone falls through ice.

“Immediately, it’s a shock. You can’t catch your breath. Once you’re in the water and you realize what’s going on, you’re viable and alert and coherent for five to 10 minutes, and then the hypothermia begins to kick in. You lose dexterity. You lose your ability to think,” he said.

Walking on a body of water is not only extremely dangerous but also illegal in D.C., Schaffer said.

“Any body of water in the District of Columbia — McMillan Reservoir, C&O Canal, Rock Creek,” he said.

Ice skating may be fun, but it should be done only in controlled environments.

“The simple solution is: Just rent some skates and go to the skating rink at Cabin John or one of the several we have here in D.C.,” Schaffer said.

D.C. police told News4 they haven’t issued any citations to people walking on the ice this season, but they’re prepared to do so. Fines could be about $100.