Every minute counts in cold water.
Act quickly. Your body loses heat twenty-five times faster in the water than on land, so get out of the water as fast as you can.
Board a boat, raft, or anything floating. Turn a capsized boat over and climb in. Remember, most boats will support you even when they are full of water. If you can’t get in the boat, climb on top of it and stay with it. That way, it will be easier for a rescue boat to spot you on the water.
Flailing around in the water causes the body to lose heat faster. If you don’t have an exposure suit, hold your knees to your chest to protect your trunk from heat loss, and clasp your arms around your calves. This is called HELP (the Heat Escape Lessening Position).
Wearing a life jacket will help you save energy and will keep your body temperature from dropping quickly. Minimize the motion needed to keep afloat by helping to insulate the body.
Button, buckle, and zip up, and tighten collars, cuffs, shoes, and hoods. Wear a warm hat, like a fleece-lined skullcap, that will stay on your head in the water. Dress in layers of synthetic fabrics such as polyester fleece to keep from getting overheated or chilled from perspiration.
Don’t try to swim unless your destination is very close. Ignore the shoreline; it is usually farther away than people think. Swimming disrupts the layer of warm water between your clothing and your body and sends the “warm” blood to your extremities, which cuts your survival time by as much as half.
To preserve body heat, use the Heat Escape Lessening Position if you’re alone, or if you’re with a group, huddle with others. Rescuers are more likely to see you and rescue you faster if you’re in a group.
Though cold-water survival times vary from person to person, the colder the water is, the sooner hypothermia will set in. The likelihood of survivability is affected by the weather conditions and by a person’s age, gender, weight, height, body fat percentage, fatigue level, immersion level, type of clothing worn, and survival gear available.
In the first stages of hypothermia, people can experience shivering, impaired judgment, clumsiness, and loss of dexterity.
In the later stages of hypothermia, body systems slow and eventually stop. Slurred speech, withdrawn behavior, muscle rigidity, and a cessation of shivering are signs of late hypothermia.
If left untreated, hypothermia will result in unconsciousness and death.
Rapid treatment of hypothermia is critical. If you identify someone as hypothermic, here’s what you can do:
Call for help (call 911 or VHF-FM marine radio).
Restore warmth slowly.
Begin CPR (if necessary) while warming the person.
Give warm fluids.
Keep the person’s temperature up by keeping him or her wrapped in a blanket.
Survival tips courtesy of the United States Coast Guard.