Because most consider the Gulf of Mexico warm waters, it is that ideology that makes it so dangerous. Yes, the water is much warmer than northern waters, but the human body reacts the same way to 58-60 degree water as it does to 45 degree water. You will first be met with a shock of cold water, causing you to start gasping while yelling a few swear words between gasps, you will curl up in an attempt to stay warm, you will shiver uncontrollably, your fingers and feet will begin to lose mobility, and no buoyancy. , you will not be able to keep your head above the waterline.
Cold water immersion can be survived if proper measures are taken. If my article “The Seven Steps to Survival” you will learn that recognition is the first step. If you don’t recognize that a ditching is possible, as some do, and if you don’t put flotation items (life jackets and life raft) on your aircraft, you’re probably one of the many sad statistics that say, “The occupants had no flotation devices.
While in the US Coast Guard stationed in Kodiak Alaska, I had the privilege of serving with Dr. Martin Neimeroff (Captain). Dr. Neimeroff was the Coast Guard’s foremost expert on cold water immersion. Through his teachings, I learned that hypothermia (decreased core body temperature) has an adverse effect on the human body, even to small degrees. This human machine was designed to operate at a constant 98.6 degrees, and any variation up or down causes deleterious effects (hyperthermia/hypothermia).
The human body generates a small amount of heat through shivering (Stage One Hypothermia 98.6 F to 95.0 degrees). Feeling cold, chills, drowsiness, slurred speech, and disorientation are symptoms of stage one (mild hypothermia). Note: A person with “Stage One” hypothermia will appear to be intoxicated.
As you can see, a variation of just 3.6 degrees from your normal body temperature can cause adverse effects that can severely affect your ability to do the things you need to survive.
Now we go one step further. Let’s say your body temperature drops below 95 degrees. He is now entering stage two hypothermia (95-91 degrees). Symptoms include decreased shivering, decreased level of consciousness, and slower breathing rate. For the person in the water (PIW) without flotation, this is where he starts to get into some very serious trouble. The chills you experienced in stage one hypothermia have used up a lot of energy. Once the chills stop, your body will no longer have the ability to overheat. You will be very exhausted and unable to maneuver in the face of the oncoming waves and swells. You will begin to gasp in mouthfuls of water and will not be able to stay above the surface, eventually drowning.
Now go down to the next level. Stage Three (Severe Hypothermia) 91-86 degrees. Symptoms include muscle stiffness and loss of consciousness. I hope I don’t have to explain what happens to a non-buoyant PIW when he loses consciousness.
The stages of hypothermia will depend on the time in the water. This will vary from person to person and a lot has to do with body mass. For example, a boy would be quicker to succumb than a man. The thicker the body mass, the longer the survival time.
The chance of dying from hypothermia is slim for a PIW without flotation. His cause of death will most likely read; Drowning due to inability to keep head above water. He drowned, but the drowning was likely caused by losing control of his arms and legs or losing consciousness due to immersion in cold water.
Although the EXPECTED SURVIVAL TIME for a person in 75 degree water is 3 hours to Indefinitely, the wording “Indefinitely” is based on the condition that you wear a life jacket and can keep your head out of the water even in case of loss of knowledge (as all CG-approved life jackets are designed to do).
The water temperature in the eastern Gulf of Mexico today (April) averages around 75 degrees. Depending on how long you’re in the water and what you’re wearing, you could pass out in three hours! From November to March, the cooler water temperatures give it even less time to survive. That’s why it’s so important that you get out of that “heat-stealing” water.
The main areas of heat loss are the head, neck, armpits, sides of the chest, and groin. When you submerge your body in water, you immediately begin to lose heat in these areas through: Convection (the movement of water “colder than you”) and Conduction (skin touching something colder than body temperature).
The response of the human body is to protect the central area of the chest and the heart. Blood cools too fast (x25 in water), so the human body’s response is to shut off blood flow to the outer extremities, for example; your fingers and toes. Soon after, the blood will continue to be drawn from the arms and legs and pool in the central area of the body. In addition, blood flow to the brain will be restricted, leading to unusual behaviors such as muttering incoherent sentences, swimming, and disrobing (removing clothing and floating), a common finding with many victims of wet hypothermia.
Because blood now pools in the central area of the body, any sudden jolt, such as lifting the survivor upright, jumping out of a helicopter after rescue, or even walking, can cause a sudden rush of this pooled blood. in your legacy This would cause his heart to beat even harder to recover the blood “now pooled in his legs.” Lack of blood and oxygen to the heart and brain = Cardiac arrest. Hypothermic patients will report that they can walk just fine, but they should always transfer to a horizontal position and remain horizontal until medical attention can be given. The pooled blood in the central area eventually has to return to the legs and arms. Ideally, you want this return to happen slowly and under the care of a medical facility.
The conduction of immersion in water happens twenty five times faster than air!
By assuming the reduced heat loss position (HELP), you can protect vulnerable areas of your body from heat loss (head, neck, armpits, sides, and groin).
Please note that this position can only be maintained with the aid of a flotation device (US Coast Guard approved life jacket). Without the float, you would have to straighten your legs and kick, exposing your groin area, and swing your arms out to stabilize yourself, exposing your neck, armpits, and sides. By holding the HELP position, you can extend your survival time by hours.
Life rafts, are they necessary in Caribbean waters? I mean absolutely!
In a real life scenario, waves will hit you from all sides. You might be excited to see a rain cloud coming your way, but you may be surprised to find out that these bursts of rain actually pack quite a punch. Of course, a life raft ride through a squall would be exciting too, but at least you won’t be swallowing seawater on the journey.
By pulling your body out of the water, you increase your chances of survival by more than 70 percent! By stepping into a canopy life raft, not only do you get out of that heat-stealing water, but you can now protect yourself from the sun, wind and rain, and have the assurance that everyone in your crew is together.
If your abandonment happens late in the day, you have a good chance of staying overnight. It’s eight to ten hours! A life raft can be your best friend, your lifeline, in this situation. By getting on a life raft, you have increased your survival time out of the water, increased the size of your target, and should now have an excess of signaling equipment that can make it easier for you to be found.
Even on land, the life raft acting as a tent will provide the same protection and signaling features. Why wouldn’t you take a life raft?
Gathering position (can only be achieved with floating). Place injured persons or children in the center. The idea is to “block” the water in the center of the pool. This “locked up” water will be warmed by the combined body heat of each survivor. No, it won’t get to 98.6 degrees, but it will be a lot warmer than the water on your butt. Remember the five main areas of body heat loss. You still need to cross your legs, arms out to your sides, use the inflated bladder of the vest to block water and insulate your neck area, and if you’re lucky enough to be wearing a hat at this point, pull it down a bit. tightest
The HUDDLE stance not only provides shared warmth, but also helps overcome survival obstacles as a team while significantly increasing your target size for seekers. Use the Seven Step Survival Plan.
Seekers in your area? She steps back and stands back to back while locking her arms. Now kick! This circular splash can be seen up to two miles away by aerial searchers and half a mile to a mile away by marine assets.