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Unfortunately, fatal accidents on ice are common: in the last ten years, around ten people have died each year after traversing the ice. By mid-December at the latest, a man died after walking across the ice with a scooter north of Kiruna.
From Jämtlandsfjällen, mountain rescuer Rickard Svedjesten says now is the time to be very careful.
– There are several scooters that have crossed the ice in recent days. It’s a miracle no one was hurt, he tells P4 Jämtland.
The reason for the situation It may be more serious this year, according to Per-Olov Wikberg, coordinator of the mountain safety council at the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.
– The ice is unusually weak after a warm and temperate fall. The situation is quite worrying in many lakes, he says.
The fact that the snow has settled does not make things better. Shiny ice thickens relatively quickly, while snow insulates it and slows it down.
– In the mountains, we are used to thick ice at this time. They went to bed in October, as usual, and they should have been strong by now. But they are not as strong as they usually are, says Per-Olov Wikberg.
In northern Sweden it is especially snowmobile drivers who get into trouble.
– It’s a heavy machine, you go a long way on ice and you don’t always feel the warning signs that the ice is thin When scooter accidents happen, they often become serious, says Per-Olov Wikberg.
In general, there are a lot of people on the ice at this time of year.
– There is a lot of traffic on many ice, especially with skis and snowmobiles. We can really hope that people will be careful in the future, says Per-Olov Wikberg.
