Warm air doesn’t always mean warm water in lakes, streams or oceans. Fifty five degree water may not sound very cold, but it can be deadly. Plunging into cold water of any temperature becomes dangerous if you aren’t prepared for what the sudden exposure can do to your body and brain. Warm air temperatures can create a false sense of security for boaters and beach goers, so if you are planning to be on or near the water, arrive knowing the conditions and how to protect yourself. Cold water quickly removes heat from the body which could lead to cold water shock within the first minute, loss of muscle control within 10 minutes or hypothermia within 20 to 30 minutes. When your body hits cold water, “cold shock” can cause dramatic changes in breathing, heart rate and blood pressure. The sudden gasp and rapid breathing alone creates a greater risk of drowning even for confident swimmers in calm waters. In rougher open water this danger increases. Unplanned immersion in cold water can be life-threatening for anyone without protection from the temperatures or a lifejacket to help you stay afloat. When Cold Shock and Hypothermia begin to impact your ability to think and act, lifejackets and floatation can create extra time for help to arrive or for you to get out of danger. Even the most experienced cold water surfers, swimmers or boaters know to prepare for the conditions.
Knowing what happens when you enter cold water and what you can do in those first seconds could save your life and give time for help to arrive.
COLD SHOCK
PHYSICAL INCAPACITATION
Physical incapacitation is a loss of muscular control in the arms, legs, hands and feet, and the impact can be felt within seconds of entering cold water. The longer the exposure, or the colder the water, the more severe the impact can become. With a loss of muscular control to keep your head above the water, along with the lack of a lifejacket or floatation device, drowning will become inevitable. Symptoms may include weakness, exhaustion, and an inability to control fingers, hands, arms or legs. The progressive loss of muscular control makes staying afloat without assistance or self-rescue virtually impossible.
HYPOTHERMIA
The onset of hypothermia begins with a core body temperature to 95F (35C). Beyond the initial dangers of cold shock in the first 1 – 3 minutes of immersion a person’s body temperature will continue to drop increasing the risk of drowning or death. As the core body temperature continues to drop the impairments to physical and cognitive ability also increase until drowning or death without rescue become inevitable.
If you get yourself or help someone else escape from cold water, get into a warm, dry, protected environment as quickly as possible. Even removed from cold water a victim’s core temperature can continue to drop to dangerous levels.
Cold water risks include immersion into any body of cold water: oceans, lakes, rivers, streams or pools. In many places, parts of the year and bodies of water warm air temperatures may not coincide with safer, warm waters. Many areas of the country have warm days and yet the water stays cold. In the Pacific Northwest ocean temperatures may stay in the 60’s. Weather conditions along any large body of water can cause dramatic drops in water temperatures even in the middle of summer. In the waters around Annapolis, MD temperatures may only be above 60F for 5.5 months of the year. Cold Shock and the dangers of sudden cold water immersion can happen along almost any shore at any time of the year. Water activities that put people at risk include kayaking, canoeing, whitewater rafting, paddle boarding, and lake boating.
Risks that may cause immersion in cold water include:
Being prepared for an outing on cold water means being prepared for the possibility of suddenly being immersed into cold water. Your ability to survive cold water immersion depends on your ability to stay afloat and to stay warm until help arrives. Below are several things to consider prior to venturing out on cold water.
Cold water can kill. The following guidelines and images from the U.S. Coast Guard will increase your chance for survival:
 H.E.L.P. |
 Huddle position |
If you need to treat yourself or someone else that has been submerged in cold water, follow the steps below (developed by the Red Cross):
