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Maritime New Zealand informs about techniques that everyone could do, in order to improve chances of survival in cold water. The guide includes some advice of possible immediate actions, in order to to maintain a conscious mind and to avoid cold water immersion, that could cause significant loss of heat in the body.
Martime NZ advises the following:
1. Try not to panic : Panic can impair breathing and hasten the drowning process. Hyperventilation can occur when a person is unexpectedly immersed in the water. A mistimed breath can result in a laryngospasm, which sometimes results in loss of consciousness. A person who does not panic may simply have to cope with hyperventilation, which will eventually subside.
2. Where possible, get out of the water : In water the body loses heat 20 to 30 times faster than it does in air. Even if you feel colder out of the water, try to clamber on top of an overturned boat or any floating wreckage.
3. Think carefully before attempting to swim to shore : If you decide to swim for shore, consider that tests show an average person wearing a lifejacket and light clothing could swim about 1.85 kilometres in water of 10°C. In one Canadian case, a 20-year-old strong swimmer drowned within 5 minutes in 10°C waters.
When deciding to swim for it, consider:
1. your swimming ability
2. the weakening effects of the cold and anxiety
3. the huge overall heat loss that the swim will cause.
If in any doubt, stay with the boat.
Martime NZ also provides some tips on how to survive cold water immersion :
1. Put on layers of clothing : If you need to enter the water, do not get undressed. A person wearing two layers of woollen clothing will lose less heat than a person wearing only a swimsuit. If possible, wear as many layers of wool as possible and cover yourself with a waterproof layer. This will help trap warmer layers of water closer to the body.
2. Wear a lifejacket : A good lifejacket will help to keep the head and airway clear of the water, even when strength and mental capacity begin to wane. It will also make adopting heat-loss reducing postures easier.
3. Avoid alcohol : Safer boating and alcohol do not mix. Things can change quickly on the water. All on board need to stay alert and aware. While alcohol may make you feel warm, it actually accelerates heat loss. It makes blood vessels dilate forcing blood closer to the skin.
Children in cold water should be sandwiched in the middle of the group, as they succumb to cold much more quickly than adults.
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