"They took off their clothing in an attempt to avoid hypothermia.
This was a mistake, said Dr. Neil Christen, the president of the Alabama Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, and an ER doctor at Regional Medical Center.
Even wet clothes would have protected them better than their bare skin, he said.
The two stayed on the bank for some time before swimming to the opposite side, Rooks said."

I wonder if they got that idea off of Man VS Wild, I know Bear was preaching that theme for awhile.