Survival:

That frozen over pond you’ve been hiking over all winter is warming up, so do yourself a favor and check out Wired’s illustrated guide to survive falling through ice.

The guide is simple and direct, with four main steps and some sound advice for handling the pyschological aspects of the scary situation. For example:

As you hit the water, a physiological reaction known as torso reflex will cause you to gasp for air. Force yourself to take slow, deep breaths. You’ll begin to shiver violently and feel intense pain; try to remember that these are natural responses and not life-threatening.

Head on over to Wired to read the full details. It’s good advice, and learning how to survive falling through ice is certainly a good thing, but we’d suggest avoiding that frozen pond altogether if you have a choice.