Littleton Fire Rescue Performs Water Rescue Training At Chatfield

LITTLETON, Colo. (CBS4) - It might have looked like the real thing, but it was just a drill. The Littleton water rescue teams were honing their skills at Chatfield State Park on Saturday.

Big swings in the temperature are creating dangerous conditions on lakes and ponds across the Front Range.

The water might look iced over, but it's often not safe to walk on.

"Sometimes they appear thick, and it may be thick in one place and in other places it might be a lot thinner," Tim Woodward with Littleton Fire Rescue said. "Because of the wildlife that is on the water as well as the sun and the heat, it changes the ice conditions and makes it unsafe for anybody."

Rescue crews say don't jump in after somebody who falls through the ice. It's best to throw them something like a rope to pull themselves out or a cooler they can float on, and call 911 for help.