I was at my in-laws scoffing at my wife's father's scowl when I said I'd be out paddling today in the strait, in the storm - if it wasn't for my hand. The young girl beside me at the dinner table, a friend of my sister-in-law's, said her uncle had died recently of hypothermia. My in-laws have a long list of family and friends who have died of hypothermia/drowning, or just disappeared while fishing in Juan de Fuca. I gulped. Anyway, she went on to explain that her uncle was only 63. He was the former fire chief of a large municipality on Southern Vancouver Island, and was a fairly fit, with-it kind of guy. He apparently fell of his building's dock located along the inner waters of the Gorge Waterway. He crawled back out on his own, the family assumes, but must have struggled for a bit (we had a cold snap recently, with record lows - just after the record highs, dryness, and then record rainfall). He made it back into his condo, but was found a few days later, still in some wet cloths, on his bed, dead. The family was told he died of hypothermia. I'd never heard of such a thing. Anyway, I shut up for the rest of the meal. Doug Lloyd Victoria BC *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
> He made it back into his condo, but was > found a few days later, still in some wet cloths, on his bed, dead. The > family was told he died of hypothermia. I'd never heard of such a thing. May be, that doc was a veterinarian specializing in snakes and alligators; they catch a cold and die at room temperatures, I heard. Normal "human" doc (pathologist actually) might have been unavailable at the moment. Will refrain from further comments on the present state of healthcare in BC... Alex. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I went to a lecture on hypothermia, which was presented by a doctor who was a noted expert on the topic. This was given to paramedics for re-certification credit. He mentioned a case where an officer responded to look for two fishermen who capsized their boat mid-winter. He found one by the stream at the bottom of a steep embankment. He evaluated this man who was alert and oriented and not shivering. He decided to help him up the embankment, since he didn't seem too bad. After reaching the road, the man suddenly died of cardiac arrest. The doctor speculated that his core temperature was only moderately low prior to the climb. Exercising resulted in a sudden temperature drop when the cooler blood from the extremities reached the heart. This man was in his sixties, I believe. Bill >He made it back into his condo, but was >found a few days later, still in some wet cloths, on his bed, dead. The >family was told he died of hypothermia. I'd never heard of such a thing. >Anyway, I shut up for the rest of the meal. > >Doug Lloyd *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Yeah, I'm aware of afterdrop, and always take it into account both for myself and for others, in terms of being alert to the phenomenon. In the case of my in-law's friend's uncle, it didn't appear he was in the water very long, but I suppose somehow, there must have been an afterdrop subsequent to too rapid a rewarming. Don't know if having a partner or spouse in the condo would have helped him (good reason to stay married in one's retirement years) in term of having help at hand or someone to recognise a rapid decline. Anyway, it was a tragic loss to a man who had given much to his community over the years as a fire chief. Doug Lloyd Victoria BC Bill had said (snip): > > I went to a lecture on hypothermia, which was presented by a doctor who was a noted expert on the topic. This was given to paramedics for re-certification credit. > The doctor speculated that his core temperature was only moderately low prior to the climb. Exercising resulted in a sudden temperature drop when the cooler blood from the extremities reached the heart. This man was in his sixties, I believe. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: "obrien" <obrien_at_mail.albanyfirefighters.com> To: "paddlewise" <PaddleWise_at_paddlewise.net>; "Doug Lloyd" <dalloyd_at_telus.net> Sent: November 19, 2003 5:12 PM Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Hypothermia - died in bed. He evaluated this man who was alert and oriented and not shivering. He decided to help him up the embankment, since he didn't seem too bad. After reaching the road, the man suddenly died of cardiac arrest. > > The doctor speculated that his core temperature was only moderately low prior to the climb. Exercising resulted in a sudden temperature drop when the cooler blood from the extremities reached the heart. This man was in his sixties, I believe. The man in Doug's story has made it to his condo, not jus climbed up to the embankment. Could there still be enogh cooler blood in his extremities? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
alex wrote: > The man in Doug's story has made it to his condo, not jus climbed up to the > embankment. Could there still be enogh cooler blood in his extremities? It could be a combination of that and collapse after exertion. It is not unknown for people to sit or lie down immediately after exertion and suffer heart (?) failure. This has happened to numerous joggers over the years. This fellow may have flopped on his bed when he should have kept moving around. ?? GaryJ *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Doug wrote: >>>>>The doctor speculated that his core temperature was only moderately low prior to the climb. Exercising resulted in a sudden temperature drop when the cooler blood from the extremities reached the heart. This man was in his sixties, I believe.<<<<<<< Obrien asked: >>>>>The man in Doug's story has made it to his condo, not jus climbed up to the embankment. Could there still be enogh cooler blood in his extremities?<<< "Afterdrop" is sort of a lay term for something that is actually far more complicated than cold water from the extremities invading the core due to exercise. Hypothermia causes chemical changes that mess up the bodies electrolyte balances (and other things) and this can result in a much greater likelihood of cardiac arrest (especially upon exertion). Chemical reactions in the body don't work the same at low temperatures as they do at normal body temperatures and this results in a cascade of changes to body chemistry. Anyone who has gotten seriously hypothermic should not be moved much an gotten medical attention ASAP so they can be treated by professionals if complications arise before the bodies chemical balances can be restored. Matt Broze www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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