Ironmate - Mark Kleanthous

Hypothermia

Cold Water Hypothermia Information including water temperature survival rates and what you need to know to survive.

What happens to us when we are in cold water.

The air temperature will also make a difference the greater the wind chill other circumstances.

It is impossible to predict difficulty to be accurate because so many variables have to be considered.
The body fat content and physical condition of the person.

The body will lose heat in water below 70 degrees.

No matter how many time I get into cold water there is always a fear of shock and panic.
This is our bodies in built safety mechanism to tell us to get out of cold water.

In some instances cardiac arrest can result because of the strain to the body no matter what age the person, young and old.
I usually experience a large gasp so be careful
What can happen?
Partial then total disorientation.
Extremities fingers then hands toes then feet the arms and legs become numb.
It does not take very long before your fingers will not be able to hold onto anything.
Total pain over takes any rationale thoughts even treading water so you have to be in total control.
Human body temperature is 98.6.
Shivering occurs when the body temperature drops to 96.5 and amnesia can start at 94 degrees.
Cold water will take the body’s heat 32 times quicker than cold air.
Heat is lost from swimming or moving much faster than being still. Aim to get into a defensive posture, if possible lie on your back and try and float if you are unable to swim to safety. You can reduce your survival time in cold by 50% by swimming fast or treading water.
Most of our heat is lost form the heat neck armpits chest and groin area. Many people have survived by huddling and facing each other to reduce heat being lost.
Hypothermia
Mild symptoms slight shivering reasonable conversation.
Medium symptoms – shivering so you cannot hold a plastic cup without spilling its contents and unable to hold a proper conversation.
Extreme symptoms can result in semi conscious.
Recover from Hypothermia – Move into a warm environment.
Mistakes to avoid – Do not massage the extremities (fingers hands toes and feet)
Lay down in dry warm clothes allow blood to flow to the brain.
“After Drop” occurs if the person suffering from hypothermia is placed completely in a hot water bath when the cold blood from the limbs goes back to the body suddenly it will cause the core temperature to drop again which can be fatal.
Survival has been more successful if the victim’s legs and arms are kept out of the water.
If hot water is not available then use blankets clothes and avoid any further loss of heat to the head neck chest groin.
If not able to use a warm environment or hot bath then someone needs to get close to the person with hypothermia and use their body heat to help the person.
Mistakes to avoid
DO NOT warm arms and legs.
Never let the hypothermia person drink alcohol.
Some people may appear to be dead from drowning in cold water because no pulse or heart beat or breathing is noticeable. Skin may be blue and pupils dilated.
This is known as diving reflex.
The colder the water the shorter the period you are likely to survive.
Exhaustion or becoming unconscious can be from 3 to12 hours immersed in water from 21-21°C (70-80° F) compared to a water temperature of only 4-10°C (40-50° F) when  survival time may only be as long as 3 hours.
Jargon
PFD (Personal flotation device)
Diving reflex is the body’s way of almost shutting down. This is how marine mammals such as seals & deep diving whales, where they can slow their heart to less than 10 beats per minutes for up to 30 minutes without causing damage to the brain and body.
Humans have diving reflex not as sophisticated as marine mammals but we can automatically reduce the heart beat to protect the brain. The younger the person the better the chance of undamaged survival. Many children have been resuscitated and survived after being in cold water for more 30 minutes.

About Mark Kleanthous & his experience in cold water
Ironmate Mark Kleanthous has successfully finished the escape form Alcatraz triathlon in 2006.
He jumped into the icy freezing cold water from the San Francisco Belle next to Alcatraz Island then swim back the 1.5 miles in sub 55 degree temperatures and currents that cause you to zig zag back to St Francis yatch club main land.
Alcatraz prisoners thought it impossible to escape the island.
Escape from Alcatraz triathlon swim 1.5 miles Cycle 18 miles up or down the San Francisco hills followed by 8 mile run under golden gate bridge including 400 steps up the sand ladder ( few are able to run all the way up even the winner has been seen to walk)
Total time 2:45:21 & 15th in his age group & 104th overall.

Mark has completed thousands of open water swims during the last 30 years from a successful relay swim across the English channel to many opne water swims in freezing canals lakes seas when there has been snow and ice on the banks. 
See just some of my sporting achievements on athlete’s link below
http://athlinks.com/myresults.aspx?rid=52557352