In the northern geographic areas where there are many rivers and lakes, it is common to come across frozen water during the winter. This phenomenon represents the opportunity to enjoy various winter activities, such as ice fishing, skating and cross-country skiing. However, unless the ice sheet is thick and can support your weight, there is a risk that the surface will crack and drop you into freezing water; once in the water, panic, hypothermia and the sensation of drowning can take over. It is undoubtedly possible to survive a fall of this type, but it takes courage and, above all, it is essential to know some "life-saving" tips.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Getting out of the water
Step 1. Hold on tight
As soon as you feel the terrible sensation of falling into cold water through the ice, you need to force yourself and consciously block the instinct to pant and inhale when the head is submerged. Do not underestimate the shock of contact with freezing water, as it causes an immediate change in the respiratory and heart rhythm.
- Once in the cold water, the body reacts to the shock with what is called a "heat shock reflex," which causes you to gasp for air and hyperventilate as your heart rate increases quickly. However, you should definitely avoid doing this, especially if your head is underwater. This initial reaction typically wears off within 3 minutes as the body gets used to the cold.
- Get help immediately if there are other people around.
- Although the initial shock passes, you are still in great danger because hypothermia occurs quickly, that is, the body loses more heat than it is able to produce; even a 4 ° C jump in body temperature can trigger hypothermia.
Step 2. Stay calm as much as possible
The physical pain caused by contact with freezing water in combination with the physiological alterations triggered by "thermal shock" (accelerated heart rate and breathing, increased blood pressure and adrenaline release) can make you panic easily. However, keeping calm and controlling your breathing allows you to think clearly and develop a plan to get out of the water; take deep breaths immediately after the initial scare, so you don't panic. You don't have much time, but that's more than a dread-confused mind can perceive.
- Hypothermia occurs when the body temperature drops below 35 ° C, but it takes some time to reach that level and there are many factors that can affect. Keeping your head and most of your body out of the water allows you to save a little more time.
- Depending on various factors - such as fitness, amount of body fat, type and number of layers of clothing, air temperature, presence of freezing wind - it can take 10 to 45 minutes to fall into hypothermia and losing consciousness in freezing water.
- Remove any heavy objects or clothing that drag you down, such as your backpack, skis, or baby carrier, to reduce the risk of drowning.
Step 3. Focus all your energy on getting out of the water immediately
Once you have calmed down and your head is beyond the surface, you need to focus on getting out as soon as possible instead of fidgeting and waiting for help. Move your legs as if you were riding a bike and keep your head out of the water by tilting it backwards. Pick up your sense of direction and try to get out of where you fell, as this edge should be sturdy enough to support your weight.
- Staying in the water cuts survival time in half.
- Try to orient yourself to where you fell through the ice and stretch your arms up as far as you can for someone to see you.
- If you are underwater, look for color contrasts. When the ice is covered with snow, the hole appears as a darker spot; if there is no snow, the hole is lighter.
- In most cases, neuromuscular cooling or the inability to swim is a more serious and immediate problem than hypothermia. In other words, most victims have 3 to 5 minutes before cold water impedes their movement and blocks coordination, making swimming and kicking very difficult or practically impossible.
- If you are in the company of other people, shout with all the breath you have to make it clear that you have fallen; they may not want or be able to help you, but at least they don't abandon you and can call for help on their cell phones.
Step 4. Get into a horizontal position and kick your legs
Once you've got your bearings and decided which spot to get out of the water, quickly swim in that direction and grab onto the edge of the ice. Try to get most of your torso out of the water. Lean on the frozen surface using your forearms and elbows to lift yourself; then bring your body horizontally and kick as hard as you can, hoping to push yourself out of the water and land on solid ice, just like seals do in the Arctic.
- Once you've lifted your torso to the edge of the ice, wait a few seconds to drain as much water out of your clothing as possible. This detail is essential to reduce your weight and facilitate your movements to save yourself by pushing yourself out of the water.
- If you can't get out of the water after about 10 minutes, you almost certainly won't be able to make it on your own, as loss of coordination and hypothermia are about to take over - however, don't panic right now.
- If you are unable to save yourself, save energy (and heat) by moving as little as possible and wait for help. Cross your legs to retain heat and try to keep your arms out of the water, as your body loses heat 32 times faster in cold water than in cold air.
Step 5. Roll on the ice once out of the water in order to get away from where you fell
When you have managed to push yourself out of the water, resist the temptation to stand up and run towards the shore, as you may fall again. Instead, lie flat on the surface to distribute your body weight over a larger area and slowly roll to an area where the ice is thicker or to land.
- In an extreme case, at least try to roll away from the hole for several meters before attempting to get up.
- If possible, try to retrace the path you followed before falling into the water to reach the shore or the mainland; that piece of ice has withstood your weight before, so it should support you this time too.
- Remember that you should never walk on ice that is only 7-8cm thick, especially on hot days or when the ice begins to melt.
- In order to fish, walk and cross-country ski safely, the ice layer must be at least 10 cm thick, while to travel the track with a snowmobile or quad, a 12-15 cm thick icy surface is required.
Part 2 of 2: Survive Once Out of the Water
Step 1. Retrace your steps to salvation
When you are out of the water, you have only completed the first part of your struggle for survival, as hypothermia is likely affecting your body more and more. For this reason, once you reach a safe surface, retrace the path to the shore, the vehicle or the shed to be able to warm up. Your leg muscles will likely no longer cooperate due to thermal shock and you may have to crawl or drag yourself.
- If there are other people around, ask for help immediately; they may not have a survival kit or medical knowledge, but they can help you get to a safe place and maybe call for help.
- The first signs and symptoms of hypothermia are chills, dizziness, hyperventilation, rapid heartbeat, light confusion, difficulty speaking, loss of coordination, and moderate fatigue.
- Signs of severe hypothermia are noticeable confusion, inability to make decisions, lack of coordination, violent shivering (or none at all), dysarthria or incoherent murmuring, weak pulse, shallow breathing, and progressive loss of consciousness.
Step 2. Take off your wet clothes when you are finally indoors
It might seem counterintuitive right now, but taking off wet clothes is the quickest way to raise the core temperature, assuming you have spare dry clothes or a heat source. The external heat cannot penetrate the layers of wet fabric to keep you warm, so you need to undress quickly and wrap yourself in dry blankets or clothes.
- If there is nowhere indoors to take refuge, find shelter from the wind and weather before undressing, preferably inside a vehicle or a house. For lack of anything else, stand behind some trees, rocks or snowdrifts to protect yourself from the wind that cools you further.
- If you are alone in the early stages of hypothermia and feel like you still have some energy, after stripping, do some pushups or bodyweight exercises in an attempt to warm up and improve blood circulation.
Step 3. Warm up gradually
Once you take off your wet clothes, you need to quickly find something dry to replace them and a source of heat ASAP. As more severe hypothermia progresses, you may not feel shivering or very cold; many patients report a feeling of numbness. If you don't have any spare clothes, ask someone if they can give you some clothes, jackets, or blankets. Make sure you cover your head and insulate your body and feet from cold ground; the sleeping bag, the woolen blankets or the isothermal ones allow to conserve the heat and to increase the body temperature.
- If you don't have a shelter or a vehicle to keep warm, you need to build a bonfire. Remember to remove wet clothes and put on dry ones immediately before collecting wood and making a fire; if there are other people around, ask for help.
- Once you are in front of a heating source (bonfire, vehicle hot vents, or fireplace), bring your knees to your chest to keep your legs close and conserve body heat. if you are not alone, get tightly surrounded by others to warm up.
- Drink a warm, sweet, caffeine-free liquid; the cup warms your hands and the liquid raises the internal temperature.
- If you are using a heating pad or hot water bottle, place it near major arteries, such as the groin, armpit, or shoulder area. always place a barrier between the heat source and the skin to avoid burns. Very high temperatures can damage the epidermis or trigger an arrhythmia and heart attack; Remember that your goal is to slowly and safely raise your body temperature, which takes a few hours.
Advice
- Warm days during winter and early spring are the most dangerous times to venture on the ice.
- When walking on ice you should use a probe (a long metal pole) to check the resistance of the surface in front of you.
- If you fall into the water, let go of all your fishing gear - it's just a sinker and isn't as important as your life.
- If you have a knife, keys, or other sharp object with you, you can use it to stick it into the ice and help you drag yourself out of the water.
- If you fall into frozen water with your snowmobile, let it go. As soon as you feel the ice beneath the vehicle is about to give way, let go, jump down and roll onto your side.
- If you wear skis, unhook them immediately when you are in the water, as they hinder your attempt to get to safety.
- When using the snowmobile, wear a floating suit.
- If you live in a region where there is a risk of falling into ice water, train yourself in exposure to low temperatures, cold water, and learn proper breathing exercises in anticipation of an accident.
Warnings
- Stay away from thin ice to avoid falling into the water.
- The people who intervene to help the victim often fall into the water themselves. Be very careful when trying to help in these situations; try to talk to the individual in distress from a distance, throw him a rope or try to reach him with a branch, staying in a safe area of the ice.
- If you are trying to rescue someone who has fallen into the water, lie on your stomach to distribute your body weight evenly.
