Water temperatures around Savannah dropped very cold, very quickly this year. Now is a good time to think about the potential of falling into cold water and what you can do to increase your survivability, should such an event take place. Safety experts estimate that half of all drowning victims actually die from the fatal effects of cold water, and not from water-filled lungs.
While most of us know about hypothermia, we don’t often hear about hypothermic shock. Falling into cold water causes a reflex reaction in the muscles in our diaphragm and rib cage. We involuntarily gasp for air. There is nothing we can do to stop that reflex. If we are underwater, that gasp will draw cold water to the back of our throat, the shock of which, may cause a fatal loss of control. While you cannot stop the reflex reaction, you can hold your mouth and nose closed as you swim to the surface.
Having survived such an event myself, I know it can be done. I was 14 when I jumped off a diving board into the frigid waters of an deserted pool in Wisconsin. With no one around to pull me out, I was fortunate indeed to keep my wits, hold my mouth and nose shut, and struggle to the surface as my chest and diaphragm spasmed uncontrollably, aching to gasp for air.
Sadly, over the years, two people that I have known were not so lucky. One dove off the dock in Lake Lanier to cool herself on a late summer afternoon and apparently hit a thermocline, where the temperature of the water dropped abruptly from warm to cold. She never returned to the surface. Another friend died when she fell off a slippery dock, late one cold February night in Savannah while returning by herself to her boat.
One of the best ways to protect yourself is to respect cold water. Take extra care around the water - whether boating or just walking the docks. Wearing your life jacket or “float coat” is critically important when operating a small boat during this time of year. If you do fall in, the proper life jacket, in good operating condition, will quickly bring you to the surface, with your head and face out of the water.
So what happens then, assuming you survive hypothermic shock? Cold water robs the body of heat 25-30 times faster than air. Sudden immersion in cold water cools your skin and outer tissues very quickly. Within 10 or 15 minutes, your core body temperature (brain, spinal cord, heart, and lungs) begins to drop. Your arms and legs become numb and completely useless. In 50 degree water, you may last less than one hour without proper insulation. For this reason, when air and water temperatures fall below 60°F, Coast Guard and Auxiliary members are required to wear a full “mustang suit” (a full-body, insulated floatation device); below 50°F a dry suit is required while on patrols.
If you suddenly find yourself in the water, don't panic! Follow these procedures to increase your survival time.
Do not remove your clothing. Instead, button, buckle, zip and tighten all you clothing. Cover your head. Water trapped inside your clothing will be warmed by your body and help insulate you. Put on a life jacket, if available.
Devote all your efforts to getting out of the water. Act quickly. You will soon lose full use of your hands. If you cannot right the boat, climb on top of it. Lacking that, climb onto anything floating.
Do not try to swim unless it is to reach another nearby person, or a floating object. Swimming removes the layer of warm water between your body and your clothing, and pumps warm blood to your extremities; that reduces your survival time by as much as 50%. Grasp your knees with your hands and keep your head above water.
Any person pulled from cold water should be treated for hypothermia. Symptoms may include intense shivering (or no shivering at all), loss of coordination, mental confusion, cold and blue skin, weak pulse, irregular heartbeat, and enlarged pupils.
If you are unable to obtain medical assistance, gently move the victim to warm shelter. Check breathing and heartbeat. Never assume someone has passed away - start CPR if necessary. Remove clothes. Lay the victim in a level, face-up position with insulation underneath. Wrap him in a blanket or other warm cloth.
Be safe!