01-14-2011, 10:44 PM
I enjoy reading, this last Summer I read a book that I highly recommend "[url "http://www.amazon.com/Survivors-Club-Secrets-Science-Could/dp/0446698857/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295030458&sr=8-1#reader_0446698857"]The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that could save your life[/url]" When I finished reading it, I knew there was a small section that I should share with my BFT friends here on the forum once the winter ice arrived.
Well, it's icy, and there is lots of ice on the lakes now.
Read the following and put it in your mental library. In the event that you fall through the ice, maybe it will save your life.
How long do you think you have to survive a fall through the ice? Lets say you fell in, your completely in the water swimming, trying to get out onto the ice again. A lot of people think you have 3 -5 minutes and your done, that's all, you tried to get out, now your going to die.
Well, surprisingly, a typical man of say 190 lbs and around 6 feet tall will have about an hour before he finally loses consciousness in 45 degree water. Now we all know that the water under the ice is typically a little colder than 45, but the point is it's not going to kill you in 5 minutes. About 95 percent of the people that die in cold water aren't actually hypothermic . In fact, their body temperatures turn out to be about normal.
So, what is it that kills so quickly when guys go through the ice? According to Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, an expert on hypothermia, it's actually the terror the victim experiences that leads to drowning and or heart attacks.
I have a friend that went through the ice on a snowmobile while carrying a passenger. As they went through the ice, his passenger exclaimed "This is it! This is the end! we're going to die!" They didn't end up dying, but the passenger displayed the first response that is much more likely to kill you than the frigid water; terror.
So, what should you do if you end up going through the ice? Dr. Giesbrecht recommends a pretty straightforward formula 1-10-1. You have 1 minute to get your breathing under control, 10 minutes of useful movement, and 1 hour before you lose consciousness.
Surviving the first minute puts you well on your way to saving your life. The most immediate danger is the cold shock you experience. We've all been in cold water that can take your breath away. Well, the proper name for the response is called cold shock, it includes a gasp reflex followed by uncontrolled breathing (hyperventilation). As you gasp for air, guess what comes in? Freezing water. This response also makes it very difficult to coordinate a proper swimming stroke.
So, your first objective is to CALM down and get your breathing under control.
Next, you've got 10 minutes to move, anytime after that and you're muscles and nerve fibers get so cold that they don't function anymore, and you can't move.
IF you can't get out and you're all alone, and nobody knows you were there.. man, you made some bad choices, never go out on ice with out someone else. Especially if the ice is just recently formed, or starting to recede.
But, lets say you can't get out, as a last ditch effort, try to freeze your arms to the ice, it will keep you suspended and you can be found when you lose consciousnesses.
Now, if you're a bigger guy, congratulations, you're lifelong pursuit of moderate obesity has paid off! Without knowing it, you have just bought yourself some more time. The heavier you are, the more time you have in the cold. Remind your wife the next time that you get a look for reaching for an extra doughnut :
"It's life insurance honey, I'm just trying to save my life if I fall through the ice".
For a slight, lean person, hypothermia can set in after forty minutes in 45 degree water.
The smaller your are, the quicker hypothermia can set in. Your kids will have nowhere near the cold tolerance of their big ol' pappy. Keep this in mind the next time they're crying because they're "Cold" out on the ice. They really might not be as warm as you, just because you're in the same clothing and conditions.
I hope you all find this info as helpful as I did when I read it for the first time. Again, I highly recommend the book, it covers much more than just going through the ice.
Bottom line, if you have the unfortunate opportunity of falling in, STAY CALM, you have a much better chance of surviving than you thought, it's your panic that will kill you, not necessarily the cold!
Good Luck out on the ice, and stay safe.
Regards-
Waljustia
[signature]
Well, it's icy, and there is lots of ice on the lakes now.
Read the following and put it in your mental library. In the event that you fall through the ice, maybe it will save your life.
How long do you think you have to survive a fall through the ice? Lets say you fell in, your completely in the water swimming, trying to get out onto the ice again. A lot of people think you have 3 -5 minutes and your done, that's all, you tried to get out, now your going to die.
Well, surprisingly, a typical man of say 190 lbs and around 6 feet tall will have about an hour before he finally loses consciousness in 45 degree water. Now we all know that the water under the ice is typically a little colder than 45, but the point is it's not going to kill you in 5 minutes. About 95 percent of the people that die in cold water aren't actually hypothermic . In fact, their body temperatures turn out to be about normal.
So, what is it that kills so quickly when guys go through the ice? According to Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, an expert on hypothermia, it's actually the terror the victim experiences that leads to drowning and or heart attacks.
I have a friend that went through the ice on a snowmobile while carrying a passenger. As they went through the ice, his passenger exclaimed "This is it! This is the end! we're going to die!" They didn't end up dying, but the passenger displayed the first response that is much more likely to kill you than the frigid water; terror.
So, what should you do if you end up going through the ice? Dr. Giesbrecht recommends a pretty straightforward formula 1-10-1. You have 1 minute to get your breathing under control, 10 minutes of useful movement, and 1 hour before you lose consciousness.
Surviving the first minute puts you well on your way to saving your life. The most immediate danger is the cold shock you experience. We've all been in cold water that can take your breath away. Well, the proper name for the response is called cold shock, it includes a gasp reflex followed by uncontrolled breathing (hyperventilation). As you gasp for air, guess what comes in? Freezing water. This response also makes it very difficult to coordinate a proper swimming stroke.
So, your first objective is to CALM down and get your breathing under control.
Next, you've got 10 minutes to move, anytime after that and you're muscles and nerve fibers get so cold that they don't function anymore, and you can't move.
IF you can't get out and you're all alone, and nobody knows you were there.. man, you made some bad choices, never go out on ice with out someone else. Especially if the ice is just recently formed, or starting to recede.
But, lets say you can't get out, as a last ditch effort, try to freeze your arms to the ice, it will keep you suspended and you can be found when you lose consciousnesses.
Now, if you're a bigger guy, congratulations, you're lifelong pursuit of moderate obesity has paid off! Without knowing it, you have just bought yourself some more time. The heavier you are, the more time you have in the cold. Remind your wife the next time that you get a look for reaching for an extra doughnut :
"It's life insurance honey, I'm just trying to save my life if I fall through the ice".
For a slight, lean person, hypothermia can set in after forty minutes in 45 degree water.
The smaller your are, the quicker hypothermia can set in. Your kids will have nowhere near the cold tolerance of their big ol' pappy. Keep this in mind the next time they're crying because they're "Cold" out on the ice. They really might not be as warm as you, just because you're in the same clothing and conditions.
I hope you all find this info as helpful as I did when I read it for the first time. Again, I highly recommend the book, it covers much more than just going through the ice.
Bottom line, if you have the unfortunate opportunity of falling in, STAY CALM, you have a much better chance of surviving than you thought, it's your panic that will kill you, not necessarily the cold!
Good Luck out on the ice, and stay safe.
Regards-
Waljustia
[signature]
