Cold Water Survival

A cold water survival situation can be more than daunting it can be deadly as being in cold water for too long can result in reduced body heat better known as hypothermia. Skin and outer tissues start to cool very quickly and within 10-15 minutes vital organs such as the heart and lungs all start to drop in temperature.

After that, arms and legs will go numb and will no longer be of use. Once feeling is lost in the arms and legs, unconsciousness follows. Although the core body temperature at this point is not low enough to cause death, death is brought about by drowning.

How fast body heat is lost depends on the percent of body fat, if you are wearing a personal floatation device, and the temperature of the water. Cold water does not have to be icy for hypothermia to set in. Water that is colder than your body temperature is cold enough to cause hypothermia.

There are tips that can be used to increase the chance of survival in any water situation. Be sure to wear a personal floatation device (PFD). A PFD can increase survival time for hours. In a cold water survival situation, the first and foremost object is to try and insulate the body. Do not remove any clothing. In fact, try to keep the water trapped inside of the clothes to provide insulation, the trapped water will be heated by body temperature and will result in keeping you warm.

If a boat capsizes or a boating accident occurs acting quickly before losing the use of your arms and legs can be critical. First, try to control the position of entry to avoid getting water into the nose or throat. Next, if the boat is of a size that can be easily flipped over do so as soon as possible. If the boat cannot be set upright, climb on top of it. Boats can remain afloat even when they are full of water.

Avoiding unnecessary maneuvers and keeping as still as possible will increase the survival time. Swimming in cold water is the absolute worst idea, unless you are trying to reach a point of rescue or something you can climb on to get out of the water. Swimming allows in all the warm water trapped in clothing to escape. In addition, blood will be pumped to the arms and legs resulting in a reduced core body temperature. The chances of cold water survival decrease dramatically when a person tries to swim to safety; avoid unnecessary maneuvers and keep as still as possible.

After rescue from cold water, a person should be wrapped in a blanket, preferably a wool or emergency survival blanket that will retain body heat. If possible get out of your wet clothes and dry off before wrapping up in a survival blanket. Drinking warm fluids will also help to restore your core temperature.

Nitro-Pak has all weather and emergency blankets that can be used for cold water survival. The all weather blanket is super insulated and will help retain core body warmth even in a sub zero climate. This blanket is ideal to keep on boats and use for any outdoor activity.