Surviving Hypothermia

Immersion in cold water or any situation which causes one's body to shake or shiver hard from cold can soon lead to the condition called hypothermia. Hypothermia kills if the temperature of critical body organs is held too low too long. Death usually comes from failure of the heart owing to disorder in its rhythm. If one could keep his heart beating regularly, he could tolerate long periods of hypothermia.

For fishermen or others in situations where there is a definite chance of sudden immersion in cold water--and northern waters are almost always cold--the best protection against hypothermia is an approved buoyant vest or jacket worn all the time, not just laid in the boat. Warm clothes help a lot, especially waterproof clothes that will help trap body-warmed water around a person's torso.

If one falls in the water without a buoyant vest, one should tread water to keep the head out of the water, since heat loss through the head is rapid. And of course, one is not going to last long with the nose below the water. If one is protected by flotation gear it is best to lie quietly in the water with elbows pressed to the sides, hands on the chest and legs drawn up with crossed ankles. The idea is to keep the body surface area exposed to water as small as possible, especially the torso.

When rescued, let others move you. Your exertion will move cold blood from the arms and legs to the body and possibly cause heart failure. Drink hot liquid but not alcohol. Rescuers should, in an emergency, place a hypothermia victim between two naked heat donors.