Picture this: it’s a glorious sunny day & you’re by sea, a river or a lake. You understandably want to get into the water, but you’re not expecting it to be so cold.
People often underestimate this.
The RNLI states that anything below 15 Celsius/59 Fahrenheit, is considered cold water.
In the UK & Ireland, the average sea temperatures are 12 Celsius/53 Fahrenheit.
Someone not expecting the water to be so cold can go into what’s known as cold water shock.
As stated by the RNLI, cold water shock leads to:
“… the blood vessels in the skin to close, which increases the resistance of blood flow. Heart rate is also increased. As a result the heart has to work harder and your blood pressure goes up. Cold water shock can therefore cause heart attacks, even in the relatively young and healthy.
The sudden cooling of the skin by cold water also causes an involuntary gasp for breath. Breathing rates can change uncontrollably, sometimes increasing as much as tenfold. All these responses contribute to a feeling of panic, increasing the chance of inhaling water directly into the lungs.”
And that this is a precursor to drowning. They also state that it only takes half a pint of sea water to enter someone’s lungs to start drowning.
So what do you do?
You FLOAT
First, fight your instinct to panic or swim hard, you’ll only tire yourself out and increase your own panic.
Lean back – let yourself float on your back. If you haven’t learned how to do this, then I strongly advise that you do.
The most important part to all of this is: it gives you the time to actually lie back and get used to the cold. It also gives you time to steady your breathing and regain your composure.
Now, how this saved my life:
When in the middle of swimming 1km/0.6 miles, I experienced the worst cramp I’ve ever had in my leg. My whole leg seized up, which made it almost impossible without being in a lot of pain.
Trying to swim to shore, I realised that I just didn’t have enough strength in my arms to swim unaided. Panicking, I almost felt like I was drowning.
And then I remembered this tip & floated on my back until the cramping went down. At which point I managed to swim back to shore and get out.
So, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, just FLOAT.
If you’re not familiar with how to float, please consult this video below: