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Determining the strength of ice is extremely difficult, especially for an untrained individual.

At least a week of temperatures lower than 20 degrees are needed to make ice that is strong enough to be safe, and recent warm temperatures will slow the development of ice or even reverse it, causing safe ice to become dangerously thin as it melts."
It's especially important to convince children not to venture out on onto the ice. Because of the thin ice, adults will not be able to rescue children who venture out the ice and get into trouble. Ice must be at least 4 inches thick to support adults. Two inch thick ice might support children, but it will not allow adults to rescue them.
Thin, white or cloudy ice is not safe. Safe ice is clear to bluish in color and at least:

•  4 inches thick for people on foot

•  6 inches thick for snowmobiles

•  8 to 12 inches thick for small to average sized automobiles

•  12 to 15 inches thick for heavier pickups and vans.

Look for clear blue ice. New ice is stronger than old ice. Remember you take a risk any time you go onto the ice. Ice thickness is not consistent. Beware of ice around partially submerged objects such as trees, brush, embankments or structures. Ice will not form as quickly where water is shallow or where objects may absorb sunlight.

A fall through the ice is life threatening. The combination of shock and extremely cold water will quickly bring on hypothermia. Hypothermia is the condition where the body loses heat faster than it can replace it. The body temperature falls quickly as the cold water saturates the clothing and chills the skin. Death is almost certain when the core temperature of the body has dropped to the point where body heat cannot be maintained.
Hypothermia is definitely fatal when the heat loss cannot be reversed. Supplemental heat must be supplied until the heat loss is reversed and normal body temperature is stabilized.
Frequently people who break through the ice drown when they can't come back up through the hole they fell through. Breaking through the ice overhead is nearly impossible. For the victim and would-be rescuers, this is a very desperate situation. An attempted rescue on thin ice can make a bad situation even worse.
 

If you witness someone falling through ice,

Never attempt to make a rescue alone.

Call 911 and be sure to give the exact location and an account of the incident. Never go out alone; always have an observer watching from shore

Remember: Reach, Throw, and Go. Once someone has been sent to call 9-1-1, bystanders are urged NOT to go out onto the ice to rescue the victim.  We encourage the “reach, throw, and (only as a last resort) go” approach. Try first to “reach” a conscious victim not too far from shore by using a ladder, tree branch or other long item to extend help to the victim. For longer distances, “throw” a rope or hose or some object the victim may be able to grasp. Something that floats, like a cooler, that the victim can hold onto while help arrives, may also work. These rescue options depend on the victim’s condition and ability to grab and pull, so the faster response the better. Only if these options are unavailable or have failed, should you try to “go” to the victim. Remember though that icy water can incapacitate even fit individuals in a matter or minutes, so you truly are taking your life in your hands by attempting an ice rescue without the proper gear or training.

What if I fall in? 

If YOU are the one in the water, DON’T try to pull yourself up over the icy edge. Instead, the best self-rescue technique is to “swim” out.  Try not to panic. Turn toward the direction you came. The safest place to pull yourself back up is the last place you stepped before you went through the ice. Place your hands and arms on the unbroken surface of the ice. Lift your forearms over the edge and allow your body to lay nearly horizontal in the water. Then, the experts say, use big “frog” kicks in the water to push yourself onto the ice.  Lift your arms straight into the air as you kick.  Trying to “pull” with your arms will only slip you back into the water. Once you are lying on the ice, roll away from the weak or broken ice, don't attempt to stand up.

NEVER go near the edge of a hole in the ice to retrieve pets or objects.  It is perfectly acceptable to call 9-1-1 for a pet rescue, but endangering your own life without the proper safety gear is too great a risk.

Never go out on thin ice without safety equipment and capable people watching the situation. You may need their help