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Police Helicopter Clears Crowds From Berlin-Area Ice During Deep Freeze

Officials warn that hidden factors can keep ice deceptively thin.

Overview

  • Berlin and Brandenburg police, including water police, used a helicopter and loudspeakers to order people off Zeuthener See and the Rummelsburger Bucht.
  • Roughly 80 people were on the ice at Zeuthener See and about 200–300 at the Rummelsburger Bucht before officers dispersed the gatherings.
  • Shoreline teams addressed people with megaphones, and authorities stressed that entering frozen waters is life-threatening because ice can break without warning.
  • A person reportedly broke through ice near the Lohmühlenbrücke and self-rescued, and in Spandau a man fell from a ship, was resuscitated, and was taken to hospital.
  • The German Weather Service forecasts night lows around -7 to -15 C, locally down to -20 C, and officials recommend skating on flooded meadows rather than lakes due to thin spots caused by currents, sewage, or shipping.