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What to do if you fall in


Machpoint005

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What causes cold-water shock?

Cold-water shock is the first stage of the sudden and unexpected immersion in water which temperature is of 15 °C or lower and occurs during the first minute of exposure. Cold-water shock likely causes more deaths than hypothermia. Canada’s substantially cold waters are especially dangerous when you fall into them unexpectedly.

Cold-water shock symptoms?

The reactions of the body may be muscle spasms and hyperventilation. Other symptoms may be an increase of the pulse and blood pressure. Sudden immersion into cold water may cause cardiac arrest, even for a healthy person. The shock of the cold water can also cause an involuntary gasp reflex that can cause victims to swallow water and drown, even for a good swimmer. Cold water can paralyze the muscles instantly

Cold-water shock treatments?

If you are wearing a lifejacket before falling into cold water, it will keep you afloat while you gain control of your breathing and prevent drowning from loss of muscle control. Trying to grab a lifejacket while in the water, let alone putting one on, will be very hard because of the changes your body will be experiencing. People in cold-water shock should try not to panic and try to control their breathing. 

1-10-1 is a simple way to remember the first three phases of cold water immersion and the approximate time each phase takes.

1 Minute - Cold Shock

An initial deep and sudden Gasp followed by hyperventilation that can be as much as 600-1000% greater than normal breathing. You must keep your airway clear or run the risk of drowning. Cold Shock will pass in about 1 minute. During that time concentrate on avoiding panic and getting control of your breathing. Wearing a lifejacket during this phase is critically important to keep you afloat and breathing.

10 Minutes - Cold Incapacitation

Over approximately the next 10 minutes you will lose the effective use of your fingers, arms and legs for any meaningful movement. Concentrate on self rescue initially, and if that isn’t possible, prepare to have a way to keep your airway clear to wait for self rescue. Swim failure will occur within these critical minutes and if you are in the water without a lifejacket, drowning will likely occur.

1 Hour - HYPOTHERMIA

Even in ice water it could take approximately 1 hour before becoming unconscious due to Hypothermia. If you understand the aspects of hypothermia, techniques of how to delay it, self rescue and calling for help, your chances of survival and rescue will be dramatically increased. 

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A cautionary but nevertheless somewhat amusing tale. 

At our former marina a boater went to his mate's craft for a drink on a cold winter night. After several bevies he went to return home. 

Leaving his own boat he would turn right to walk down the jetty - leaving his mate's he turned right ... and in the darkness walked into the icy cold water!

 Fortunately his mate was sober enough to realise and pull him out!

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Last Hallowe'en I fell in after a party.  I was trying to move out of the light so I could see the keyhole.  Bending down triggered a syncope (faint).  It was as if I woke from a dream except I was completely underwater in pitch blackness and very cold.  I just floated there, on my back, for a few seconds feeling very relaxed until I realised I was about to drown!  Luckily I floated to the surface and then stood up.  My wife was understandably frantic.  But I was quite calm and asked her to fetch a ladder.  There are ladders on all the pontoons.  It could have turned out badly.  No ill effects and even my phone recovered after dismantling and rinsing, although it took a few weeks for the display to recover 100%.  Alcohol was a factor but I was unconscious before I fell out of the cratch.

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We  keep a short metal ladder on the stern . I have managed to fish my husband out twice, once with his ribs cracked and once with a dislocated shoulder, i lean over and grab his belt and haul him up , he's very good at passing out in these situations  so i cant debated how to get him out , just get a rope round him incase he faints and grab him . Both times in deep water . Also a friend who slipped off the floating pontoon in Savick brook ... no ladder attached to it , grabbed his life jacket whilst others talked about it .  Bunny 

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11 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

Doh! I know that, but this is a Canal Forum.

The canal I’m moored on at the moment is around 14ft deep.

edit, just measured at the side, roughly 6ft deep, although the bank is about 3ft above that

edit, about 9ft deep from about 13ft from the side.    The canal is about 90ft-100ft wide here.

Edited by Robbo
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11 minutes ago, Robbo said:

The canal I’m moored on at the moment is around 14ft deep.

edit, just measured at the side, roughly 6ft deep, although the bank is about 3ft above that

edit, about 9ft deep from about 13ft from the side.    The canal is about 90ft-100ft wide here.

Not really your average canal is it?

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Just now, David Schweizer said:

Not really your average canal is it?

Well that depends, there are many inland waterways just like it that make a good percentage of the total amount of navigatable miles we have in the UK.

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27 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

Doh! I know that, but this is a Canal Forum.

I would like to see you walk out of this canal. :D

20170708_151700.jpg

 

ETa: we are not that far from the edge at that either.  Deeper in the middle.

20170708_134246.jpg

Edited by Naughty Cal
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In addition, on small canals I’m more likely to hit my head on something if I fall in especially around locks than on the bigger canals!   I’ve only fallen in once at that was on a small canal, luckily the bank wasn’t that high and I just bounced back out again!   Luckily I didn’t hit my head going in, but I did have a life jacket on so if the worse did happen I would have a better chance of survival.

6 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

I would like to see you walk out of this canal. :D

20170708_151700.jpg

Cold as well.

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regardless of how you fall in / get out everyone knows the first thing to do is look around and check how many people are going to spend the next week making fun of your misfortune

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18 minutes ago, Jess-- said:

regardless of how you fall in / get out everyone knows the first thing to do is look around and check how many people are going to spend the next week making fun of your misfortune

You would think so. But the first time I went in in 9 years. Which is only a few weeks ago , was only witnessed by my other half.

Apparently I should have done it in full view of the other 20 odd people we were with as it was a spectacular dinghy exit!

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3 minutes ago, Naughty Cal said:

You would think so. But the first time I went in in 9 years. Which is only a few weeks ago , was only witnessed by my other half.

Apparently I should have done it in full view of the other 20 odd people we were with as it was a spectacular dinghy exit!

in my youth going in was a very regular occurrence (often thrown in from the roof), since owning my own boat (2 years) I have only been in once (someone stole my gunwale and put it back immediately after).

It upset my partner as they missed me falling in at the front, swimming to the back, climbing out (foot on skeg then rudder), stripping off outer layers on the cruiser stern before going inside to dry off properly.

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5 hours ago, Machpoint005 said:

The next time I'm about to fall in I'll just make sure it's an "average" canal before letting go.

How many times have you fallen in then. In 52 years, I have never fallen in completely. having only slipped and wet my feet on two occassions.

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6 minutes ago, David Schweizer said:

How many times have you fallen in then. In 52 years, I have never fallen in completely. having only slipped and wet my feet on two occassions.

I may never had a car crash but I still wear a seat belt.

Its not the water that would kill ya it’s hitting your head on something that knocks you out.  The water just completes the job.

Edited by Robbo
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On 08/07/2017 at 08:45, frygood said:

Ken M

 We have now acquired an emergency ladder that can be pulled down by someone in the water. (£19).

Any chance of a picture and where you got it from.

Midlands Chandlers. Sorry I lied - £16

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/store/product/al-002.aspx

It folds down very small so Annie has made an upside down bag which fastens to the hand rail (Ceilidh is a cruise stern) and can be grabbed and pulled down by someone in the water. Even without that it would be useful to keep near your throwline/lifering. 

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48 minutes ago, KenM said:

Midlands Chandlers. Sorry I lied - £16

https://www.midlandchandlers.co.uk/store/product/al-002.aspx

It folds down very small so Annie has made an upside down bag which fastens to the hand rail (Ceilidh is a cruise stern) and can be grabbed and pulled down by someone in the water. Even without that it would be useful to keep near your throwline/lifering. 

I take it that it sinks in use, rather than floats on the surface making it difficult to mount?

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