Cold Water

Survival
Topics
Cold water hazards and
01 their effects

Actions prior abandoning

02 ships

Survival Phase: Survival

03 craft

04 Survial Phase: In Water

05 Rescue Phase
Treatment recovered from
06 water

Treatment recovered from

07 survival craft
Cold water hazards
And Their Effects
Major Threats
of Cold Immersion

Drowning Hypothermia

Collapse just before,

during or after rescue
Hypothermia
01 Hypothermia - when the "deep", or "core",
body temperature falls below 35"C (95’F);
that is, when about 2'C (3.5’F) has been
lost..
Hypothermia

02 With continued cooling

consciousness will be progressively
impaired and then lost; eventually
death will follow
Initial Response
Actions
Time from Event
Immersion
• Don’t panic
• Rapid pulse • Escape from entrapment
0 – 3 Minutes • Increased blood pressure • Inflate lifejacket (manual
• Gasping, uncontrolled inflation)
breathing • Deploy spray hood
• Possible inhalation of • Don’t attempt to swim
water • Hold onto flotsam if possible
• Adopt heat escape lessening
posture (HELP) position
• Wait for cold shock to settle
Short Term Response
Actions
Time from Event
Immersion • Undertake all necessary tasks
• Manual dexterity impaired immediately
3 – 30 Mins • Loss of muscle strength –Inflate lifejacket
• Body feels numb –Deploy hood
• Cramps – inability to –Fasten clothing
–Activate personal EPIRB
swim
• Float with back to wind and
waves
• Do not attempt to swim far
Long Term Response
Actions
Event
Time from
Immersion
• Hypothermia • Maintain HELP position
• Dehydration • Get as much of the body
>30 Mins • Low pulse and blood out of the water as possible
pressure on available flotsam
• Death if not rescued • Believe you will be rescued
Post Immersion Response
Event Actions

• Rescue in horizontal position

Time from • Possibility of • Give oxygen if available
Immersion deteriorationpost-rescue • Give IV fluids if blood
• Low blood volume and pressure abnormally low
dehydration • Remove wet clothing and
>60 Mins
• Low pulse rate and treat hypothermia Treat
blood pressure additional injuries and
• Hypothermia illnesses
• Muscle weakness • If conscious, administer
• Concurrent injury warm drinks
• Psychological stress • Handle gently and reassure
• Contact TMAS early
Actions Prior
Abandoning Ships
ACTIONS ENSURE DISTRESS ALERT HAS BEEN SENT.
PRIOR ABANDONING
SHIPS
KEEP THE EMERGENCY LOCATION
BEACON TO YOU

PUT AS MANY WARM CLOTHING AS

POSSIBLE.

IF AN IMMERSION SUIT IS AVAILABLE

PUT IT OVER WARM CLOTHING.
ACTIONS PUT SUITABLE LIFEJACKET AND SECURE IT
PRIOR ABANDONING CORRECTLY

SHIPS
IF TIME PERMITS DRINK A LOT
BEFORE LEAVING THE SHIP
Warm sweet drinks are best but don't drink alcohol: it
can reduce the chances of survival in cold water. Take
extra water with you if possible.

TAKE ANTI-SEASICKNESS MEDICINE

Before leaving the ship, or immediately after boarding
the survival craft

AVOID ENTERING WATER AS POSSIBLE.

lf you must go into the water, avoid jumping in

.
ACTIONS IF JUMPING INTO THE WATER IS
PRIOR ABANDONING UN AVOIDABLE
SHIPS You should try to keep your elbows to your side
and cover your nose and mouth with one hand
while holding the wrist or elbow firmly
with the other hand.

Avoid abandoning
ship for as long as
safely as possible

The ship is the best survival

craft
.
Survival Phase
Survival Craft
Things You Can Do
To Improve Your
Situation
ln survival craft without covers, try to give
yourself a waterproof and windproof
covering

Try to avoid sitting in water. Sit on your

life jacket if there is nothing else available

Squeeze as much water as you can out of

sodden clothing, before replacing it, to reduce
body heat loss through evaporation.
Things You Can Do
To Improve Your
Situation
Huddling close to the other occupants of the sur-
vival craft will also conserve body

Follow your survival craft training (water and

food rationing, etc.).

Keep a positive attitude of mind about your survival

and rescue. Your will to live does make a difference.
Survival Phase
In Water
Survival Phase: Water
Orientate yourself and try to locate the ship,
survival craft, other survivors, or other
floating objects.

Staying calm and still conserves heat. Do not

attempt to swim unless it is to reach a fellow
survivor a nearby shore, craft.
Survival Phase: Water
Try to float as still as possible, with your
legs together, elbows close to your side,
and arms folded across your chest.

lf the lifejacket is fitted with a spray hood, put

it on. The hood protects the airways against
spray while drifting in the water.
Survival Phase: Water

Swim on your back, using only your legs, if

possible. The arms are critical to heat loss.

Swim downwind of a floating object, if you

are trying to reach it, rather than straight
towards it.
Survival Phase: Water

Link up with other survivors if you can. lt

helps location and rescue.

Keep a positive attitude of mind about your

survival and rescue. This will extend your
survival time. Your will to live does make a
difference.
 H.E.L.P heat escape lessening position

Cross your arms

tightly against your
chest.
 H.E.L.P heat escape lessening position

Draw your knees up

and against your
chest.
 H.E.L.P heat escape lessening position

Keep your head and

face out of the water.
 Huddle Position
Place your arms around each other’s
mid to lower back and pull together so
your chests are close to each other’s
sides

Intertwine your legs

Place any children in the

middle of the huddle

Keep unnecessary movements to a

minimum in order to conserve energy
Treatment of People
Recovered from Cold Water
Conscious Casualty
Short Exposure Survivor is Shivering

Shivering dramatically, will recover Alternatively, for survivors

fully if they remove their wet who are shivering and alert,
01 clothing and are insulated with
02 physical exercise will speed
blankets, up re-warming.

Seek medical advice. 04

Unconscious no breathing
01 Check/clear airway; if still not
breathing give 5 full rescue breaths.

02 Commence cardiopulmonary
resuscitation (CPR) in accordance
with first aid training.

03 If medical advice still not available and

if there are still no signs of life after 30
minutes, stop CPR
Breathing but Unconscious
Transfer to sheltered position

Check for other injuries

Put to recovery position

Beware of vomiting which is

very common in
seawater drowning
Seek medical advice

Monitor and record breathing and heart rate (neck

carotid pulse). An increasing breathing and/or
heart rate may indicate the onset of drowning
complications

Provide oxygen by mask, if available

Provide additional insulation to prevent continued

cooling.
 The bath or shower should be at a
temperature of 39-41 C (102-106 F).

Much less than this and the

survivor's body will continue
cooling, even if the water feels
"warm",

lf you do not have a thermometer. dip

your bare elbow in the water; the heat
will be tolerable at about the correct
temperature, but not above it.
Conscious Casualty
Long Exposure without Shivering

lnsulate to prevent further heat Enclose in blankets

01 loss through evaporation and 02 And or plastic, including head
exposure to wind. (but not face), neck, hands
and feet.

Move to a warm, sheltered Lay down in a semi-horizontal or

03 location. half-sitting position.
04 (unless dizziness develops, when
a horizontal attitude would
be best).
 Monitor and record Seek medical advice.
05 06
breathing and heart

When the survivor is alert and Give warm sweet drinks but
08 no alcohol.
warm it is no longer
07
necessary
to maintain a semi-horizontal
or horizontal position
Treatment of People
Recovered from Survival Craft
Treatment Recovered
from Survival Craft

Occupants exposed
for short durations.
Your Picture Here
may require treatment for
mild hypothermia, Who are wet and cold
and less alert

Need to be recovered in semi

horizontal position
Treatment Recovered
from Survival Craft

Warm drinks should

be provided
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Obtain medical advice

Thank You
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