JP 3-50 National Search and Rescue Manual Vol I - US Navy

shock wears off, most regain active attitudes. Those who
remain passive die unless quickly rescued. This behavior,
commonly known as "disaster syndrome", is characterized by an
attitude of "I am not here and this is not happening to me."
3. The probability of the target remaining within the search area
decreases with time. Floating targets drift or people may
hike out. If the target is mobile, the size of the search
area must increase with time. Delay may dramatically increase
search area size, possibly beyond what available SRUs can
cover. For survivors adrift in fast water currents, the best
chance of locating them is soon after they have gone adrift,
while the search area is still small.
D. Environmental factors may severely limit available rescue time.
Survivor life expectancy varies with the type of clothing worn, the
clothing's wetness, survivor activity, initial body temperature,
physical condition, thirst, exhaustion, hunger, psychological stress,
and will-to-live. Many individuals exceed normal life expectancies or
tolerance times. The following are guidelines, not absolute factors,
for search planning and suspension.
1. Exposure to the chilling effects of cold air, wind, or water
can result in hypothermia, the abnormal lowering of internal
body temperature. The rate of body heat loss increases as air
and water temperatures decrease. Death from hypothermia
occurs over four times more often in water than on land. If a
survivor is immersed in water having a temperature of less
than 92 degrees F (33 degrees C), hypothermia may occur.
a. The warmest ocean water that can be expected at any
time of year is 84 degrees F (29 degrees C). Approximately
one-third of the earth's oceans have water temperatures above
66 degrees F (19 degrees C). United States Defense Mapping
Agency NAVOCEANO publication, NOPUB 225, Atlas of Sea Surface
Temperatures, can be used to determine water temperatures for
the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans for any month of the
year. Figure 4-1 displays predicted calm-water survival time
(defined as the time required to cool to 30 degrees C, 86
degrees F) lightly-clothed, non-exercising humans in cold
water. The graph shows a line for the average expectancy and
a broad zone that indicates the large amount of individual
variability associated with different