HAMBURG, N.Y. — The ice piling up along the shores of Lake Erie in Hamburg has grabbed the attention of a lot of visitors, and even national attention for the natural phenomenon.
But it could be a unique beach hazard in its own way.
Bob Owens got a chunk of that Lake Erie ice, for his on-the-rocks experience.
"Put it in my freezer and maybe have a little whiskey with it later," he said. "I climbed out by Hoak's. It's pretty slippery, but I made it. There's a ton of people out here climbing around. It's like a big playground."
Lots of folks and families have come out for a look-see and take plenty of pictures of an icy natural wonder that apparently even longtime residents have never seen before.
But not satisfied with a shoreline view, some just had to venture out on the ice. As one student put it, "By the looks of the chunks that have washed up on the shore, it's looking pretty thick, though. So I don't think we'd had have that much trouble."
Folks opting for that up close experience prompted a Facebook warning from Hamburg Emergency Services. Officials are worried about injuries from people falling.
Hamburg Police are making passes near Hoover Beach, nearby homes, and Woodlawn Beach to spread the word about not climbing on the ice.
2 On Your Side watched as one man was eventually chased off the ice while we were out there. Hamburg Emergency Manager Sean Crotty explains the danger.
"This is a dynamic pile of ice and it's constantly changing with the lake waters underneath," he said. "And there's a lot of weight that's associated with all these slabs of ice, so you're talking about 8, 10, 12 inches' thick pieces of ice precariously perched here."
Warning signs about climbing on the ice will be posted Wednesday on what is technically private shoreline property.