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Thin ice and cold water boating accidents result in cold water immersion – a serious danger of winter in the out doors. Dr Gordon Giesbrecht coined the phrase 1-10-1 to describe the three critical phases of cold water immersion:
1 – Cold Shock
An initial deep and sudden Gasp followed by hyperventilation that can be as much as 600-1000% greater than normal breathing. You must keep your airway clear or run the risk of drowning. Cold Shock will pass in about 1 minute. During that time concentrate on avoiding panic and getting control of your breathing. Wearing a lifejacket during this phase is critically important to keep you afloat and breathing.10 – Cold Incapacitation
Over approximately the next 10 minutes you will lose the effective use of your fingers, arms and legs for any meaningful movement. Concentrate on self rescue initially, and if that isn’t possible, prepare to have a way to keep your airway clear to wait for rescue. Swim failure will occur within these critical minutes and if you are in the water without a lifejacket, drowning will likely occur.1 – HYPOTHERMIA
Even in ice water it could take approximately 1 hour before becoming unconscious due to hypothermia. If you understand the aspects of hypothermia, techniques of how to delay it, self rescue and calling for help, your chances of survival and rescue will be dramatically increased.
Heres a video of Giesbrecht himself jumping into a hole in the ice to demonstrate 1-10-1 and rescue techniques (talk about commitment!):
Via REI Blog and Cold Water Boot Camp
Clarke, have you guys seen this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x768VAsOQSw
Nice review. But I’m not going there. Spring water here in Florida – 72 degrees year round. That’s about as cold water as you will see me in.
Without being on a boat (icebreaker canoe???) what are the major situations where this might occur? Walking on ice? Bridges? Slipping off the bank of a river? Stream crossings? What are some ways to help ensure that it doesn’t happen in these circumstances? What are some safety precautions you northern guys take to avoid immersion?
I read a story (book?) when I was a kid. As I remember ( hee hee :-)) the dad was somehow incapacitated and the young son was sent out to retrieve the family’s livelihood (pelts from traps??). The father warned the son several times to always cut two trees when crossing a creek or stream. NEVER just one tree. Well of course the kid got in a hurry, cut just one tree, then fell in and lost his pack. Something like that. I need to look that story up. Anyway, I remember it as a gripping story of survival and learning.