[Paddlewise] FW: Life Jackets Saves Lives in Cold Water Too

Subject: Life Jackets Saves Lives in Cold Water Too

 

 

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Public Affairs

clip_image001

 

Date: February 7, 2011

Contact: Rande Wilson

Public Affairs

Phone: 860-881-0570

Email: rjwilson_at_snet.net

http://auxpa.org

 

 

News Release

 

 

Life Jackets Saves Lives in Cold Water Too

 

 

WASHINGTON- The best way to survive an accidental cold water immersion is to
wear a life jacket.  It will help keep the head above water in the event of
an accidental immersion.  It will also keep the victim afloat.  If unable to
rescue themselves, a life jacket can provide some thermal protection against
the onset of hypothermia, and keep the swimmer afloat until help arrives.

 

Swimming ability in warm water has little relationship to the ability to
swim in cold water.  Mario Vittone, a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer
states "It is impossible to die from hypothermia in cold water unless you
are wearing an approved flotation device, because without flotation - you
won't live long enough to become hypothermic, you will most assuredly
drown."   

 

When the temperature of water is below 50 F significant physiological
responses occur, including the possibility of death,  The causes of death
may include cardiac arrest, deep body (core) cooling resulting in
unconsciousness, and circulatory collapse, all of which could end in
drowning. The effects of cold water immersion are predictable and well
documented by what is known as the 1-10-1 Principle:

 

-  1 minute:  Upon immersion in cold water, the body reacts with an
involuntary gasp, followed by hyperventilation of up to 10 times regular
breathing (if head is underwater during that initial deep gasp, a person can
inhale enough water to drown).  Avoid panicking--  breathing will return to
close to normal.

 

- 10 minutes:  A person immersed in cold water will become incapacitated as
limb muscles stop working and prevent swimming or self-rescue, so swimmer
should attempt to rescue themselves, before incapacitation becomes a factor.
If this is not possible, try to get as much of the body out of the water as
possible to delay the onset of hypothermia.

 

- 1 hour: After about 60 minutes (depending on the water temperature), the
body continues to cool. The resulting hypothermia can create a range of
symptoms from confusion to unconsciousness, eventually leading to death.

 

When rescuing a cold water victim beware of post rescue collapse (up to
several hours after) by assisting the victim to become dry and warm.  Keep
him or her still until medical treatment arrives.

 

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed volunteer Component
of the United States Coast Guard created by an Act of Congress in 1939. The
Auxiliary, America's Volunteer Guardians, supports the Coast Guard in nearly
all of the service's missions. 

 

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