Seems to me, any purposeful endeavor, recreational or work, aught have contingency plans and equipment. Boats have EPIRB, ditch kits, maybe rafts and exposure/survival/immersion suits. Aircraft, give or take similar. Even for skaters/boaters/travelers on lake ice, there is knowledge and equipment recommendations, including immersion management.There is a bunch of information on immersion hypothermia. And yet, vehicle in the water, slip/trip> fall in, duck boat sinking, past "wear your PFD", not a lot of information.
Car in water(accident, black ice, impaired, bridge collapse, flood, flash flood, mud slide, land slide), I drive past one of NYC's reservoirs, to and from work, at least 5 days a week. On a 3 lane parkway, separated from the water, by a guardrail, vehicles traveling 70-80mph., guardrail is not much of an impediment, and occasionally, one goes in. From the shore, out about 5-6', it's 2-3" deep, then precipitously drops to 80'. Most are body recoveries.
My intent, is to put together a system, to deal with spontaneous immersions. Starting with clothes that will sustainably keep me alive if not warm in 35 degree water, 3mm. neoprene gloves, neoprene hood, add a manually inflatable vest, with enough storage/attachments for signaling (mirror, strobe (spare batt), green laser, whistle, flare, smoke, dye, panel, flashlight/head lamp, PLB/immersion proof air and marine band radios (probably not both, depending on where I am, reservoirs no boats, but planes over head, Hudson River, Lake Erie, boats and aircraft). Add HEED-3, ice daggers, BOK/Med, mask/snorkel (mitigate asperation secondary to wave action) and a throw bag. How many people do yous know, know what a throw bag is, much less carry one in their POV, much less are practiced with them? Probably something like zero, so if I don't have one, they likely won't. If I can gather the gumption to throw them the bag (with a light stick attached, easier to see/find at night), all they need to do is pull. Might be the quickest way out. On my end, reinforced loop, figure of 8 follow through, backed up, for me to grab onto, put an elbow through, or (6' continuous loop of 1" tubular webbing, twisted into a figure of 8, slip the arms through, add a locking carabiner, instant chest harness) clip into the chest harness. In the car secured to drivers side visor and duplicated on the vest, is a window punch and a pair of rip shears, for car egress.
EDC: ESEE-4, Wave-2, Emerson N-SAR, Silky 130 Pocket Boy, (2) constrained Bics with T-Rex tape, ferros, about 50' milspec 550, SAK Ranger, PJCB, a good sized piece of fat wood, Elzetta Charley, mini mag light (medical pen light) and a Heat Sheet.
The only thing I want to grab, assuming I'm alone (God forbid otherwise), is a vapor proof bag (tethered bright color/SOLAS tape 360/buoyance) containing warm clothes, Gore, MSR Pocket Rocket/fuel/pot/brew kit/water, better med kit and a Wiggy's 0 rated sleeping bag, foam pads, air activated hot packs and a bivi sack (self Rx. immersion hypothermia management kit). Thoughts?
Nobody that I have found, is talking about this, and from what I've read, BOB's, GHB's, INCH bags don't address this; in a vehicle, did you survive the crash, are you unconscious, are you injured, are you alone in the car, what is necessary to extricate yourself from the car. Nothing attached to you should be buoyant, while your in the car, complicates/prevents getting out, how deep are you, can you hold your breath that long, how are you going to deal with the 1-2 minutes of cold shock, gasping? Ok you got to the surface, or maybe you started there, less the 70 degree water, your on the clock, less then 55 degree water you need to get out ASAP. Most people in these scenarios that die, don't get a chance to die from hypothermia, they die from aspirating water, and drown. The other aspect of cold shock is older folk, or people with heart problems or other co morbidities, can develop lethal heart arrhythmias, and die. But nobodies talking about it, there's no primer, it's all pass/fail and most people that find themselves in this predicament don't even have the advantage of the lady in the water in Capt. Sullys Miracle on the Hudson. Middle aged blond lady, in a short sleeved white top, there amongst the ice islands in her PFD, the expression on her face, totally spaced out, flailing her arms aimlessly, for something to latch onto. Without her PFD, she would have died, even with the PFD, if rescue had not been at hand, she would have died. She never anticipated swimming in the Hudson, most people won't have the PFD, won't be clothed much better, and rescue might be a while comming. Take care.
Regards, Jim
