Death trap ice – That’s why ice surfaces are never released in Berlin

By Michael Behrendt

It looks tempting. The carp pond in Treptow lies in bright sunshine, frozen white between tall trees. It’s still school time this morning. But from the afternoon on, the water police must be even more concentrated than they already are.

“We generally never release the ice surfaces,” explains Sabine Schumann from the Water Police Department on Baumschulenstraße in Treptow. “We simply no longer have such low temperatures that could guarantee safety on the ice.” Especially since there are actually only flowing waters in Berlin. “We cannot forbid people to step on the ice, we can only warn them,” reports the chief inspector.

Unfortunately, some people are resistant to advice. “Two years ago, for example, there were several people on the ice and that day was really dangerous. We were on the shore, warned them and even had to call for a helicopter. But the citizens simply ignored it.”

Sabine Schumann is one of those people with whom a conversation never gets boring. The originally “normal” policewoman once went to sea herself and grew up by the water. The transfer to the unit affectionately known as the “duck police” was foreseeable.

And she doesn’t want to leave either. She talks happily without a break about the “most beautiful job in the world”. But then she suddenly becomes very serious: “It’s unimaginable if there is a large group of people on the ice, it suddenly gives way and several people drift in the ice at once or get under the ice sheet.”

She shows how quickly this can be done in a self-experiment on the carp pond – in a protective suit, of course, the water temperature is just three degrees.

On the shore, where the tall trees provide shade, the ice cover is still wearing. But where the sun can “heat” unhindered is the dangerous zone. A loud crack, a crackle, and the ground gives way under your feet. Then Sabine Schumann or one of her colleagues would approach the casualty with a special rescue board and start the rescue. Just the decision to hop into the cold broth is heroic.

“Parents and adults should always be role models. Of course, children dare to go on the ice when they see older ones running around there,” says Sabine Schumann.

Of course, in the summer the women and men of the WSP have even more to do – secure damaged boats, carry out speed checks on the water, punish noise violations, get drunk boat drivers out of circulation.

There is still a long way to go until summer. Until then, the rescuers are sometimes called to allegedly frozen swans or hold advisory discussions with the citizen. And if nothing seems to be going on at all, the water protection policemen also drive normal patrol duty. Although of course they prefer to be on the water.

“We’re normal police officers,” says officer Olli. “We only use other vehicles on the way, namely boats.” And then he can’t help but smile happily: “But with the coolest ones in Berlin.”