Ice dangers highlighted as Edmonton police continue river search for missing woman

Edmontonians are being urged to stay off the ice in the North Saskatchewan River a day after a woman went missing after falling into the water.

A man who was with her also fell into the river near Laurier Park but managed to get out and was treated by emergency personnel.

Edmonton police said Tuesday afternoon they continue to look for the woman on Tuesday using a helicopter, a drone, its underwater search team and ground units following Monday's search efforts by officers and firefighters.

At any time of year, experts generally warn people to stay off ice on the river. Lifesaving Society Alberta says the unusually warm winter in Edmonton has created more unknowns around ice.

"Rotten ice happens when there's been consistent thawing and refreezing of the ice, so what happens is water gets in between the layers of ice there," Madison Lalonde of Lifesaving Society Alberta told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday.

"When the ice is rotten, it doesn't matter how thick the ice is. The structural integrity of the ice is impaired, essentially."

Lalonde said even expert swimmers can struggle in the river.

"Your body can go into something called cold water shock that affects your coordination, your movement and your breathing," she said.