No one should consider themselves an expert on the ice.

That’s the message Lt. Jim Gorno, law enforcement division supervisor for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, gave to News staff writer Julie Riddle for a recent story about ice safety.

Experienced ice fishermen and snowmobilers “know their stuff,” Gorno told Riddle, “but 99% of them have never dropped into freezing cold water.”

Already this winter, a side-by-side, a four-wheeler, and several snowmobiles have gone through ice in northern Michigan, Gorno said.

Even those with years of know-how should respect the ice and its inherent dangers, and Gorno recommends the following:

* Get an ice pick, he said. A sharp implement — even a set of car keys — hung around a neck can be used to dig into ice to provide a handhold for climbing out of cold water.

* Pack a rope that can be thrown to someone in trouble, and place cell phones in a water-proof dry bag.

* Tell someone where you’re going and when you’ll be back.

* Don’t fish alone.

With the right precautions, a day on the ice is among the best northern Michigan has to offer. Without them, it can be among the worst.

Stay safe out there, folks.