Suddenly falling into freezing 32.5 degree Fahrenheit water, most immersed adults
should expect exhaustion or unconsciousness to take effect in less than 15
minutes. That's why MARSARS recommends that everyone on ice should be
prepared to take responsibility for their own safety by having Ice Awls. In
emergencies, the Awl becomes a self-rescue device that allows you to pull yourself
onto and across thin unstable ice. The Ice Awl device looks like a short jump rope.
It is a bright orange color and its two handles have a metal pick in each. The awls
(picks) are surrounded by plastic shrouds which retract into the handles each time
the handles are pressed into the ice.

Ice Rescue Equipment Catalog		Water Rescue Equipment Catalog