Dubai Telegraph - Swedish kids take the plunge in icy lake survival lessons

EUR -
AED 3.826681
AFN 70.961758
ALL 98.138602
AMD 405.652886
ANG 1.877182
AOA 951.190259
ARS 1045.720247
AUD 1.602814
AWG 1.877897
AZN 1.775245
BAM 1.955573
BBD 2.102956
BDT 124.465544
BGN 1.955294
BHD 0.392554
BIF 3076.642669
BMD 1.041829
BND 1.403837
BOB 7.197164
BRL 6.043693
BSD 1.041579
BTN 87.914489
BWP 14.229347
BYN 3.408604
BYR 20419.848375
BZD 2.099456
CAD 1.456529
CDF 2991.091432
CHF 0.930957
CLF 0.036923
CLP 1018.83097
CNY 7.54601
CNH 7.562783
COP 4573.368835
CRC 530.538382
CUC 1.041829
CUP 27.608468
CVE 110.252195
CZK 25.343745
DJF 185.478458
DKK 7.457729
DOP 62.772709
DZD 139.835759
EGP 51.726992
ERN 15.627435
ETB 127.508391
FJD 2.371151
FKP 0.822333
GBP 0.831435
GEL 2.855018
GGP 0.822333
GHS 16.456089
GIP 0.822333
GMD 73.970229
GNF 8977.957272
GTQ 8.040066
GYD 217.904692
HKD 8.110066
HNL 26.320943
HRK 7.431636
HTG 136.72412
HUF 411.522823
IDR 16610.452733
ILS 3.856892
IMP 0.822333
INR 87.968134
IQD 1364.44153
IRR 43834.955489
ISK 145.523076
JEP 0.822333
JMD 165.930728
JOD 0.738765
JPY 161.244275
KES 134.884334
KGS 90.122166
KHR 4193.512952
KMF 492.268155
KPW 937.645704
KRW 1463.259646
KWD 0.320727
KYD 0.867999
KZT 520.059599
LAK 22878.342838
LBP 93271.167197
LKR 303.144792
LRD 187.998165
LSL 18.795317
LTL 3.076251
LVL 0.630192
LYD 5.086409
MAD 10.478083
MDL 18.997794
MGA 4861.435378
MKD 61.522855
MMK 3383.819949
MNT 3540.134882
MOP 8.35093
MRU 41.443187
MUR 48.810083
MVR 16.10707
MWK 1806.090235
MXN 21.283008
MYR 4.654932
MZN 66.583684
NAD 18.795317
NGN 1767.675143
NIO 38.325549
NOK 11.53576
NPR 140.663663
NZD 1.785942
OMR 0.400943
PAB 1.041579
PEN 3.949541
PGK 4.193513
PHP 61.404399
PKR 289.239507
PLN 4.337676
PYG 8131.055634
QAR 3.798559
RON 4.978071
RSD 116.991412
RUB 108.671879
RWF 1421.834864
SAR 3.911473
SBD 8.734231
SCR 14.272055
SDG 626.663972
SEK 11.497837
SGD 1.402931
SHP 0.822333
SLE 23.68116
SLL 21846.638123
SOS 595.230868
SRD 36.978718
STD 21563.75683
SVC 9.113941
SYP 2617.626467
SZL 18.788818
THB 35.922648
TJS 11.092512
TMT 3.646401
TND 3.309016
TOP 2.440072
TRY 35.9978
TTD 7.074178
TWD 33.946439
TZS 2770.578216
UAH 43.089995
UGX 3848.553017
USD 1.041829
UYU 44.294855
UZS 13362.448044
VES 48.506662
VND 26482.251319
VUV 123.688032
WST 2.90836
XAF 655.880824
XAG 0.033274
XAU 0.000384
XCD 2.815595
XDR 0.792308
XOF 655.880824
XPF 119.331742
YER 260.379151
ZAR 18.915093
ZMK 9377.71492
ZMW 28.772658
ZWL 335.468513
  • SCS

    0.2300

    13.27

    +1.73%

  • AZN

    1.3700

    65.63

    +2.09%

  • VOD

    0.1323

    8.73

    +1.52%

  • RBGPF

    59.2400

    59.24

    +100%

  • NGG

    1.0296

    63.11

    +1.63%

  • RIO

    -0.2200

    62.35

    -0.35%

  • BTI

    0.4000

    37.38

    +1.07%

  • GSK

    0.2600

    33.96

    +0.77%

  • CMSC

    0.0320

    24.672

    +0.13%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0100

    6.79

    -0.15%

  • BCE

    0.0900

    26.77

    +0.34%

  • BCC

    3.4200

    143.78

    +2.38%

  • RELX

    0.9900

    46.75

    +2.12%

  • BP

    0.2000

    29.72

    +0.67%

  • JRI

    -0.0200

    13.21

    -0.15%

  • CMSD

    0.0150

    24.46

    +0.06%

Swedish kids take the plunge in icy lake survival lessons
Swedish kids take the plunge in icy lake survival lessons / Photo: Jonathan NACKSTRAND - AFP

Swedish kids take the plunge in icy lake survival lessons

The frigid water under the frozen Ravalen lake north of Stockholm doesn't intimidate Elton as the 11-year-old schoolboy takes the plunge to the applause of his classmates.

Text size:

Forty pupils are taking part in an "isvaksovning", or a hole-in-the-ice exercise, part of their school's physical education class to learn what to do if they ever fall through the ice on one of Sweden's many lakes or out in the archipelago.

Every day for three weeks, 750 pupils in Sollentuna municipality will take turns jumping into the hole in the ice, which measures about two by four metres (6.5 by 13 feet).

Courses like this are common in the Nordic country.

For the students taking part on this day, it's optional if they want to jump in -- but all of them do.

Holding his head above the one degree Celsius (34 Fahrenheit) water, Elton grabs two small ice picks hanging around his neck, jabs them into the ice and drags himself out onto the snow-covered lake.

Many Swedes would not think of stepping out onto the ice without a pair of picks.

Without them, it's extremely difficult to get back onto the ice without slipping back into the chilly water.

"It was much colder than I thought it would be," Elton tells AFP, as he warms himself around a fire pit together with his classmates.

"But I still managed to stay in for 30 seconds".

His mother, Marie Ericsson, who works in IT, came to film the scene.

"It's super important. It's really good knowledge and it feels safer for us, because they are always playing around lots of lakes," she tells AFP.

The kids are fully clothed when they jump in wearing winter bonnets, mitts, shoes or boots and all.

They have big backpacks strapped on, which also help them float, and are attached to a safety rope held by gym teacher Anders Isaksson.

- Outdoor way of life -

Some of the kids shriek when they land in the cold water.

"Good! Breathe calmly", Isaksson reminds them as they slither out onto the ice.

Most of the kids look apprehensive before it's their turn.

But once they're done most seem surprisingly unfazed, albeit freezing and soaked. They run to shore to change into dry clothes, and gather around a fire pit.

The classes gained importance in recent years amid a rise in ice accidents after declining for decades.

According to the Swedish Life Rescue Society, 16 people died in Sweden after falling through the ice in 2021 -- mostly elderly people -- compared to 10 the previous year.

Around 100 incidents were reported.

"This is important because this is a country where outdoor activities are a big part of people's lives," PE teacher Anders Isaksson notes.

For some, the plunge also offers an opportunity to test their mettle.

When Siri Franzen, 11, jumps in she endures a full two and a half minutes before dragging herself up.

"I am very proud of her," her mother Louise tells AFP. "She has just beaten her brother's record from four years ago."

H.Pradhan--DT