Rule number one when taking an accidental dip in icy cold water: don't try to swim for long stretches. You would lose too much body heat, which you need to store as much as possible when in cold water without a survival suit. You never know when the sailboat might capsize or the ice break under your feet during a fishing trip. Read on for useful information for maintaining body heat.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Surviving in Cold Water
Step 1. Swim only if a boat or safe hold is within reach
If a boat, dock, or some other safe hold you can get on is no more than a few meters away, swim to it and take yourself out of the water. If not, stay still. Even the best swimmers can drown when they try to swim in cold water. When too much heat is lost from the body, hypothermia spreads quickly.
Step 2. Keep your head above the water
Hopefully he is wearing a life jacket or life preserver (PFD), because it is imperative that you stay afloat. It is advisable not to swim like a dog to keep your head out of the water, because too much energy is consumed. Make sure the life jacket or PFD is securely fastened and fold it back a little to make it easier to keep your head above the surface of the water.
- Look around for something that can float in the water that could help you stay afloat. If the boat has capsized, you may see a life buoy, floating cushions, or other objects that you can grab onto.
- If you have nothing to keep yourself afloat, you will have to use your hands and feet. Try to move as little as possible, making only the movements necessary to keep your face out of the water.
Step 3. Assume the HELP position
The position that lets heat escape less, called HELP, keeps your body as warm as possible and saves energy while waiting to be saved. Lift your legs up to your chest and curl your feet. Cross your arms around your chest and keep the limbs close to your chest. Now "sit" in this position and move up and down on the surface of the water.
- The HELP only works if you are wearing a PFD that keeps your head above the water without you having to move. Do not attempt HELP if you are not wearing a PFD.
- If you are wearing a life jacket that has been designed in a way that makes HELP difficult, assume the "survival position" instead. Keeping your head above the water, keep your body vertical with your arms straight at your sides, and your legs straightened and crossed.
Step 4. Stay in a pile if you can
If you are in the water with other people, the best way to stay warm is to huddle together. Get close to each other and intertwine arms and legs to form a single embraced mass. Try to keep as much body surface in contact as possible.
Step 5. Avoid panicking
You would use energies essential for survival. Trust that things will turn out well if you need help and stay alert as much as possible.
Step 6. Get examined by a doctor
As soon as you can get out of the water, dry off, warm up and get hypothermia treated. If you've been in cold water for more than a minute or two, you may have suffered damage to some organ, so it's essential to get checked out as soon as possible.
Method 2 of 2: Prepare for a Cold Water Swim
Step 1. Put on a survival suit
If you are in areas with frozen water, such as Arctic or Antarctic waters, you may be asked to know how to use a survival suit. If you are told to wear it, do it immediately. It will allow you to survive longer in the coldest waters on the planet.
- Don't venture into freezing waters on a boat without preparing in advance. If you don't have a survival suit to keep you safe, the risk is too great.
- Even if you are wearing a survival suit, you shouldn't stay in freezing water for too long.
Step 2. Put on a dry suit
This aquatic garment isolates you from the water and will keep you warm in the cold water. If you know you are facing cold waters like those of the Pacific Ocean or some bubbling rivers where you can kayak, a dry suit is probably an acceptable level of protection.
Step 3. Put on a wetsuit
The wetsuit will allow water access to the inside of the garment, but keeps you warmer than if you had no insulation. This is a good choice for waters that are not too cold, such as those you may encounter in some areas while diving or while swimming using a snorkel.
Not all wetsuits are the same. Some cover only the torso, while others also cover the arms and legs. Make sure you know what kind of wetsuit is needed for the temperature of the water you are diving in
Step 4. Put on a personal flotation device (PFD)
Whenever you are out on a boat or doing some other water activity (apart from diving), always wear a personal flotation device. It will help keep you floating and add an element of warmth.
- Some PFDs have good insulation which can make the difference between surviving or not in cold water.
- Consider putting reflective tape or other reflective material on your PFD, in case you find yourself in the water at night. This will help a research group find you faster.
Step 5. Wear the right clothing when you are near the water
If you're not wearing a wetsuit, wear layers of light clothing rather than heavy ones. The layers will help trap air but the light weight will keep you from being weighed down.
- Don't wear cotton. This fabric weighs when wet, and doesn't heat you up.
- Wear a water repellent and a waterproof layer. Wool or other fabric that repels moisture from the skin should be worn under a protective layer of waterproof clothing.
Step 6. Keep your head warm
You can avoid losing too much body heat by keeping your head warm. If you are in cold water, wear two swimming caps. Wear earplugs designed for underwater use so you don't lose too much heat from your ears.
Advice
- Wait to tremble. This is the body's mechanism for trying to produce heat.
- Avoid falling asleep. You may never wake up.
- Stay out of the water to begin with. While this seems obvious, the best way to stay out of trouble is to avoid situations that could get you in the water.
- You may be "clinically dead" from being in cold water, and being able to be resuscitated. It is not desirable for this to happen, but the idea could keep you on the alert when you are waiting for help.
