kc2ixe:

You too, huh!?

Bountyhunter

I recently completed a Marine STCW Class and Two instructors, one EMT-PM and a USCG Ret. Capt of S& R commented slow reheat is best. Warm bodies work best, no hot liquids, be gentle as body at that point is fragile. Dry clothes, cover head, cover top and bottom with blankets. Too fast of reheat "fools" body and allows cold blood to reenter heart causing failures. Too warm can cause burns. Most Hypothermic patients do not realize it can only take a few seconds in 50 degree or less water.

If this is the case then wouldnt every person who ever swam the english channel now be dead? <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> What factors determine who is safe in water below 50 degrees and who isnt?

Brian:

From what little I have read about English Channel swimmers, most of them used grease, wet suits, or dry suits to handle temperature problems.

I believe most of them had escorts in boats in case of emergencies.

Bountyhunter

Again from my ice safety course, The instructor told us that it can take hours to get hypothermic from immersion in ice-cold water. What gets people is the shock to the system that leads to shallow breathing, panic and loss of consciousness. In fact, one recommendation given when self-extraction from the ice is impossible is to extend your wet sleeves onto the ice surface so that they freeze in place to hold you out of the water after you've lost consciousness.

Most people that die in this situation drown before hypothermia sets in. The recommendation from the course was to take the first two minutes of immersion to allow the shock to pass before calmly initiating self-extrication. You then have 10 or so minutes before passing out. He even did a real-life demonstration (wearing a dry suit full of holes).

Part of the course was a viewing of some videos of "Professor Popsicle", a guy who studies hypothermia, often using himself as a guinea pig. The videos are available online at:

http://outside.away.com/outside/features/200212/200212_popsicle_splash.html#

Those old men in the speedos that they show on the tube when they cover these stories must be using greese then. That certainly does make sense.

Brian:

Any old man that even dares to try swimming the English Channel is a better man than I am!

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />