Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

Chapter 19: Common Emergencies (If There Are Such Things)
Coast Guard. Water from 40 to 50 degrees brings unconsciousness in 30 minutes to an
hour, and from 50 to 60 degrees, in 1 to 2 hours.
In warmer weather, the prospects are much better. Water temperatures from 60 to 70
degrees can be endured for up to 7 hours for healthy adults, and from 70 to 80 degrees,
survival time can exceed 12 hours.
In short, in extremely cold water, rescues have to be nearly immediate to have much
chance for saving the victim.
To treat a victim of hypothermia, follow these steps:
1. Strip off the victim’s wet clothes and dry
Bet You Didn’t Know
him thoroughly.
2. Cover the victim with blankets or a sleeping
bag (but no hot baths; the body should be
warmed slowly).
3. Give hot liquids if the victim is thoroughly
awake.
4. Monitor the victim’s heartbeat and breathing
and be ready to give CPR if needed.
5. In cases where mental acuity, heart rate, or
breathing are affected, get the victim to a
physician as soon as possible.
If You Fall Overboard
It doesn’t even take a fall overboard
to become hypothermic;
getting wet from a rainstorm
accompanied by howling winds
can do the job, even when air
temperatures are moderate. If
you stay dry, you’re much less
likely to become chilled. Get
your rain suit out sooner rather
than later, even during a summer
squall.
It’s a horrible feeling to be left swimming in the open sea as your boat chugs off toward
the horizon, according to those who have been there. Odds are huge that it won’t ever
happen to you, but there are several cases every year, and the larger the boat, the more
likely it is that if you slip over the side, no one will notice. Having a boat sink out from
under you can also force you to go for a swim when you’d rather not.
In either case, you’re in immeasurably better shape if you’ve got on your PFD; you don’t
have to worry about staying afloat and can devote your attention to conserving body heat
and to being found by rescuers.
Survival swimming experts suggest the following to improve your chances of survival:
◆ Don’t take off your clothes so that you can swim better. Even wet clothes conserve
heat. (If your clothes are so heavy you can’t swim at all in them, however, shuck
them.) Slip off your shoes, though—it will make it easier to kick.
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