Drowning and Hypothermia
As body temperature falls below 95F (35C), both mental ability and consciousness suffer, and like cold shock and incapacitation, the primary danger is drowning.
Picture yourself floating helplessly in the water. Your mouth is roughly three inches above the surface - and that's when the water is calm. Your arms and legs don't work, and the only thing keeping you afloat is your PFD (Lifejacket). Now, as your core temperature starts to fall, you become progressively more confused and disoriented because your brain is becoming colder. It takes more and more effort to keep your head upright and you're losing that battle. That's why your risk of drowning increases.
Badly Chilled vs Hypothermic
Hard To Tell
It can be very difficult to tell the difference between someone who is badly chilled and someone who has hypothermia. Because of the physical and mental effects of cold shock and incapacitation, many hypothermia symptoms can be present in people who have a normal body temperature.
In other words, it’s quite possible for a badly chilled person to have difficulty thinking and speaking clearly, and to also be physically incapacitated, shivering violently, and unable to use their hands. For this reason, emphasizing concepts like the "umbles" is unlikely to be of practical value.
Diagnosis
The only reliable way to determine if someone has hypothermia is to measure their core temperature, something that can’t be done orally. Trying to obtain a rectal temperature in the field is both difficult and a bad idea because it’s tough on the victim and a poor use of your time. From a practical standpoint, all you’ll to have to guide you are the environmental circ*mstances and the appearance and behavior of the victim. For this reason, spending time educating students in wilderness first-aid classes about the "stages of hypothermia" is unlikely to be of practical value.
A Difficult Situation
Regardless of whether the person is chilled or hypothermic, you’re going to have a very big problem on your hands because neither situation is easy to deal with in the outdoors. If the problem resulted from immersion, as soon as they're out of the water your first objective should be to stop them from losing any more heat and getting even colder. If they're unable to help themselves or engage in physical activity, then sheltering them from wind and rain and – if you're ashore - insulating them from the ground are particularly important.
Exercise
However, if the chilled person is still out on the water – for example, after being rescued and getting back in their paddlecraft – it's important for them to continue to paddle if they can manage it. That's because exercise generates body heat and will help them from getting any colder. This is a particularly important consideration if they're being towed.
Towing
Furthermore, if you have to tow another kayaker and they're unstable, a very efficient tow rig can be quickly constructed by lashing a spare paddle to their deck and putting paddle floats on the blades so that the system serves as outriggers to prevent a capsize.
Not Just an Immersion Issue
You can become badly chilled or hypothermic even if you never enter the water. Whenever body heat is lost to the environment faster than you can replace it, incapacitation will be followed by hypothermia. In cold, windy, rainy weather, a person exposed to the elements can quickly become incapacitated while paddling or making camp. Again, the first things to go are your hands.
FAQs
To prevent hypothermia, wear layers of warm clothing, protect your head and hands from the elements by wearing winter hats and gloves or mittens, keep as dry as possible, always wear a personal floatation device when around cold water and carry matches in a waterproof container.
What water temperature is a risk for hypothermia? ›
The Timeline of Hypothermia
When the water temperature is 40 degrees or below, serious injury can result in as little as a few minutes. Even in water temperatures approaching 50 degrees, death can occur within the first hour of cold water immersion.
At what temperature does water become unsafe? ›
Cold shock can be just as severe and dangerous from water temperatures of 50-60F (10-15C) as it is from water at 35F (2C). Gasping for a breath or rapid breathing from sudden immersion can be triggered by water as warm as 77F (25C).
What happens when you get hypothermia in water? ›
As soon as you enter the water, your body begins to cool, but the full effects of hypothermia can take around 30 minutes to develop. Some of the signs of hypothermia are: intense shivering in the early stages as the body tries to maintain its core temperature. slurred speech and confusion.
What is the 50 50 50 rule for hypothermia? ›
50-50-50 Rule
A person has 5 minutes to swim 50 yards in 50°F (10°C) water and has 50/50 chance of surviving the attempt.
What is the 120 rule for water? ›
A good rule of thumb to follow is the "120° rule." This means you should wear a wetsuit or dry suit whenever the sum of the air temperature and water temperature is equal to or less than 120°F. Warm weather does not cancel out the danger of cold water, wearing lighter clothing on a warm day increases risk.
How cold is too cold for water? ›
Maximum intensity cold shock. Unable to control gasping and hyperventilation. Most people who are unaccustomed to cold water will experience a maximum cold shock response somewhere between 50-60F (10-15C). For some individuals, this happens at 57F (14C), for others, the peak occurs at 52F (11C) and so on.
What is the lowest water temperature safe to swim in? ›
Yet, as people look to cool-off, it's important to note that not all water is ready for swimming. According to the National Center for Cold Water Safety, water temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit should be treated with caution.
Is 62 degree water too cold to swim in? ›
Cold Water Can Kill You Within Seconds
Few people realize that water between 50-60F (10-15.5C) can kill you in less than a minute. It's actually so dangerous that it kills a lot of people within seconds. Not because of hypothermia or incapacitation, but rather because of cold shock and swimming failure.
What is too cold for a cold plunge? ›
You'd be surprised as to what your body can handle, but there is a limit as to how cold a cold plunge should be. Generally speaking, most enthusiasts recommend not going below 40°F or around 4°C. With that being said, if you can handle the water being a couple of degrees colder, you are more than welcome to try it.
When the Titanic hit the iceberg and consequently sank, the Atlantic Ocean was around 28°F (-2°C), which is below freezing. The wreck caused roughly 1,500 out of 2,224 passengers and crew onboard to perish. In total, RMS Titanic was equipped with 20 lifeboats that were able to accommodate roughly 1,178 people.
What is the hypothermia rule? ›
It's called the 1-10-1 rule. It refers to you having one minute to control your breathing, less than 10 minutes for self-rescue, and 1 hour before you become unconscious due to hypothermia.
How fast did people freeze after the Titanic sank? ›
In the case of the Titanic, it is estimated that it would have taken at most 15 to 45 minutes for most people in the water to succumb to the worst effects of immersion hypothermia (if they hadn't drowned).
At what temperature is hypothermia a risk? ›
Hypothermia is a condition that occurs when core body temperature drops below 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 degrees Celsius). It is a medical emergency. In hypothermia (hi-poe-THUR-me-uh), the body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature.
Can 70 degree water cause hypothermia? ›
Your body temperature can drop even if it is warmer than 50°F (10°C) if you are out in wet and windy weather. If you're in water that is 60°F (16°C) to 70°F (21°C), you are also at risk for hypothermia. But hypothermia can occur indoors, especially in babies and older or ill adults who are not dressed warmly enough.
Is 50 degrees outside too cold to swim? ›
Few people realize that water between 50-60F (10-15.5C) can kill you in less than a minute. It's actually so dangerous that it kills a lot of people within seconds. Not because of hypothermia or incapacitation, but rather because of cold shock and swimming failure.
How cold was water in Titanic? ›
When the Titanic hit the iceberg and consequently sank, the Atlantic Ocean was around 28°F (-2°C), which is below freezing. The wreck caused roughly 1,500 out of 2,224 passengers and crew onboard to perish. In total, RMS Titanic was equipped with 20 lifeboats that were able to accommodate roughly 1,178 people.
