Why Cold Water is Dangerous
Watch The Video
This 13-minute video explains why falling into cold water without the protection of a wetsuit or drysuit is a life-threatening situation that kills some people within seconds. It also explains why cold shock, swimming failure and incapacitation frequently result in sudden drowing.
"Many people who are classed as "good" swimmers appear to be unable to swim distances of as little as 6-10 feet (2-3 meters) in cold water, even to save their lives."
-Golden & Tipton, Essentials of Sea Survival (2002)
Cold Water Can Kill You Within Seconds
Thousands of people have drowned after falling into cold water and a lot of them died before they even had a chance to reach the surface - because if you gasp when your head is under water, you'll drown.
According to the 2006 Canadian Red Cross Drowning Report, for example, 2007 persons died of cold-water immersion in Canada between 1991 and 2000. These statistics indicate that prevention of cold-water immersion fatalities is a significant public health issue for Canadians - as it likely is in many parts of the United States.
These are scientific and medical facts that most people have trouble appreciating - because they have no experience being in really cold water.
Many people also drown within a couple of minutes because their arms become too cold to continue swimming and they aren't wearing a lifejacket.
Sudden Drowning
With very few exceptions, immersion in cold water is immediately life-threatening for anyone not wearing thermal protection like a wetsuit or drysuit. That's because when cold water makes contact with your skin, cold shock causes an immediate loss of breathing control. This loss of control reaches a peak between 50-60F (10-15C).
The result is a very high risk of suddenly drowning - even if the water is calm and you know how to swim. The danger is even greater if the water is rough because when you can't control your breathing - and waves are splashing your face - you're much more likely to inhale water.
If cold water is so dangerous, how do ice-water swimmers and polar bear plungers do it? Click those links to find out.