Experts warn against ice-skating

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The city of Vienna has advised people not to go skating on the Danube River, regardless of the freezing temperatures in much of Austria. Warm currents in the water make the stability of the ice almost entirely unpredictable, experts have warned. "The risk is simply too difficult for us to calculate. It is like skiing off piste", said head of the department for surface water in Vienna (MA 45), Martin Kollar. As a consequence the city has warned against venturing onto any frozen natural waters. The strength of ice is difficult even for experts to assess as factors such as air temperature and changes in water levels can affect the stability. "Fractures in the ice are not to be underestimated and can occur as a result of swell or waves in the water," explained Kollar. Bodies of water such as the Old Danube and the New Danube pose a particular threat as they are fed by groundwater. Regardless of how cold the outside air temperature is, ground water has a temperature, on average, of seven degrees. This flows in at several points of the Danube in Vienna, heating the ice from below, making the thickness of the ice almost entirely unpredictable and above all inconsistent. The depth of the Old Danube is around four metres and the New Danube up to seven metres deep. "If you fall under the ice here then you need to dive under the water and look for the hole, still with your skates on. If you manage to find an opening, despite the panic, then there is still the question of who is going to pull you out and how long it will take," warned Kollar. He has therefore recommended that people enjoy the beauty of Austria's winter from the shore only. The city of Vienna however provides plenty of alternatives to these areas of water. The "Eistraum" at the Vienna Rathaus is open to all skating enthusiasts with 7,200 square metres of ice rink and a kilometre long path through the trees.