How much longer is the frozen Navesink River safe to enjoy?
Daily high temperatures are expected to rise above freezing for the next two days.
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It’s a sight along the Navesink River in Red Bank that hadn’t been seen in years – the river has completely frozen over, sending hundreds of people to the icy waterway to skate, fish or race ice boats.
Daily high temperatures are expected to rise above freezing for the next two days. North Shrewsbury Boat and Yacht Club safety officer Bill Carton says the ice should still be safe to enjoy for a while longer.
“We have a solid base. We have a good eight inches of ice. So, the river should stay locked up well into next week and maybe past next week.”
Carton said the river froze for a few days last year, but before that, it had been eight long years of warmer winters.
But there are limits to what this ice can handle. The National Weather Service says four inches of ice supports ice fishing and walking. It has to be more than double that to support a car, and a foot thick to support a truck. Not everyone heeds that advice.
Further south, at Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area in Eagleswood, Ocean County, a viewer sent News 12 photos of a truck that had sunk and police pulling it out. State police referred News 12 to the Department of Environmental Protection, who had not commented as of Monday night.
Carton says there are steps to take to safely enjoy the freezing season.
“Always have a whistle on you,” Carton said. “Know the body of water. Water does not freeze under bridges because of the current. If you fall into ice with just gloves and your bare hands, you are not climbing out. So [bring] bear claws, and creepers so you don’t slip and fall.”
