|
A cold water survival presentation given by
Dr. C. Brooks at the WCB provides valuable information on the
prevention of most cold water deaths through the application of
basic knowledge, training and preparation.
Dr. Brooks states that
hypothermia and exposure are misunderstood terms often used to
validate the cause of an accident, not the precise cause of death
in a cold water immersion. The fallacy that death in open water
is an inevitable risk of fishing is unacceptable given the new
understanding of why we live or die in the water. You can protect
yourself and your crew with good planning, preparation and training
without a large expense and most of the equipment you need probably
exists on your vessel now. Lifejackets, floater coats, rafts,
dinghies, survival suits and the like do save lives when used
appropriately but, they must be used.
The facts about the immersion in cold water
are: (Brooks, 2001)
There are four clear stages of immersion in
which death can occur.
-
Cold
shock (kills within 3-5 minutes after immersion)
-
Swimming
failure (kills within 30 minutes after immersion)
-
Hypothermia
(kills after 30 minutes of immersion)
-
Post
rescue collapse (kills at the point of rescue or up to several
hours afterwards)
The cause of death associated with each stage
respectively is:
-
Drowning,
heart (circulatory) and respiratory problems
-
Impaired
physical performance leading to inability to self-help, swimming
failure and drowning
-
Deep
body cooling leading to hypothermia and drowning
-
Collapse
of arterial blood pressure leading to cardiac arrest.
The most troubling thing about cold water deaths
is the simple fact that we can prepare for and prevent the majority
of them. Simple awareness, precautions, training, and practice
could save lives.
In Canada the average EPIRB response times are
between 90 to 120 minutes, well after any of the above stages
have already caused death. Therefore, during the time between
initial exposure and rescue, the victim is responsible for their
own survival and must be prepared for it. The best way identified
to survive cold water death is to avoid entry into the water until
the last possible moment. Dr Brooks noted that in some cases persons
entered the water and died when the vessel did not sink! Staying
out of the water is staying alive. Even getting onto a piece of
flotsam can increase your chances of survival.
Awareness starts with knowing the situation
and asking a simple question; how can you protect yourself? A
good place to start is http://www.tc.gc.ca/MarineSafety/TP/menu.htm
and a publication called Survival in Cold Water by Dr.
C. J. Brooks (publication #TP 13822 at the bottom of the listing
page). You can also phone the BCSA Safety Coordinator at (604)
261-9700 and we will get you copy as soon as possible.
This is a good primer and Dr Brooks considers this essential reading.
Several books are available from the library
or can be purchased, with the following being recommended by Dr.
Brooks:
-
Designed
for Life: Lifejackets through the Ages by Dr. C. J. Brooks
-
Essentials
of Sea Survival by F. Golden and M. Tipon,
-
Survival
Psychology by J. Leach,
-
Human
Error by J.T. Reason.
Two videos are also available "The
Cold Facts – Surviving Sudden Cold Water Immersion",
and "More Cold Facts – Hypothermia and Post Rescue
Collapse". These were produced by the Canadian Navy
and National Search and Rescue Secretariat and can be found at
Intercom Films, Suite 101, 34 Colin Avenue, Toronto Ontario
Canada M5P 2B9, Phone: (416) 483-3862
Fax: (416) 483-1106
Precautions are as simple as not entering the
water until you absolutely have to. It may be difficult to protect
your hands, however, loss of hand strength means the victim cannot
help themselves. A video shot of a victim in cold water who can
not hang onto the life ring is revealing; it showed that human
performance in warm water is no indicator of performance in cold
water. Other survival measures which are often not adhered to
are; not donning the survival suits when poor conditions warranted
it, victims entering cold water leaving suits and equipment vital
to their survival on board, and not taking precautions to safeguard
yourself or crew prior to sailing. Lack of lifejacket use is another
area of concern. Children without lifejackets, will often drown
before hypothermia can set in because they can not help themselves
in cold water.
Training and practice gives your body and mind
the tools to deal with potentially deadly situations in advance.
The precautions you take will depend on the individual situations
you find yourself in. Good judgement and decision making prior
to possible entry into the water will save your life or at least
give you a fighting chance.
The use of lifejackets, floater jackets,
and survival suits can save lives only if they are used. The decisions
you make in the process leading up to an incident is critical
to survival. The education and training of persons working on
and near cold water combined with equipment that is used appropriately
can not be over-emphasized.
|
