PFD makes the difference in a hypthermia situation??

Office of Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard Thirteenth District

Press Release Date: Jan 28, 2006 Contact: PA3 Jeff Pollinger (206) 819-9157

MAN DIES AFTER SAILBOAT IS KNOCKED DOWN BY WIND GUST NEAR VASHON ISLAND

SEATTLE - A man died Saturday after he was ejected from a recreational sailing vessel near Vashon Island after a wind gust pushed the boat on its side about 12:20 p.m.

At 12:24 p.m., the Coast Guard was notified by the King County Emergency Dispatch Center that three men and a woman were in the water after being thrown from their sailboat. Two of the men and the woman were able to climb back on board the vessel.

Coast Guard Station Seattle immediately diverted a 25-foot response boat to search for the missing man at 12:25 p.m.

An HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles was also launched to assist with the search and rescue operation.

Additionally, the Tacoma Fire Department's rescue vessel provided assistance.

At 12:52 p.m., a Vashon Fire Department boat transported one of the men in the sailboat to an awaiting ambulance on shore. The man survived.

The third man was located in the water by the Coast Guard helicopter, and a Des Moines Fire Department rescue boat was directed to the same location. The man was recovered from the water and then transferred to the Coast Guard helicopter waiting on the beach, which transported him to the Harborview Hospital in Seattle.

The third man, who was not wearing a life jacket, was pronounced dead at 3:02 p.m.

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The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the Department of Homeland Security dedicated to protecting the safety and security of America.

Up here, there is no such thing for most people as a few hours. Some are unconcious in a matter of minutes, others take 30- minutes to an hour before the body core cools to the point where vital organs such as the brain, heart, and lungs shut down.

throw some fatigue and booze in to make death real quick...

weve had cases here in woodstock and up in webster where the big lake is of people getting hypothermic in water that were in the 70ºs.

richforman

i will never do that again. the shock was incredible and i never did warm up.

i am very warm blooded.

Hypothermia is little understood by the public, and many people's first encounter with it is their last.

One thing those guys at the "Polar Bear Clubs" who like to jump into a hole chopped in their local frozen body of water, is that a certain percentage of people have immediate cardiac arrest. Seems to be a "bell curve" thing, a few (very few!) people are almost immune to cold water immersion.

Furthermore, age & physical condition have nothing to do with it. I had the experience of pulling a *very* fit college athlete out of our lake, after he slipped getting off his jetski. He fell in knee-deep water and was out like a light. He would have certainly died, if I and a couple of his buddies hadn't been standing there watching, and pulled him out.

Depending on how cold the water is, a life jacket will make a big difference for a while. It will keep you able to breath, and will help preserve the body core temp. And if nothing else, it will make your body easier to find.

Fresh Breezes Doug King

RCE

The USCG tells us over and over how many lives can be saved if pfd's were worn and alcohol were saved for the end of the day. My fear of drowning motivates me to wear safety gear; what motivates people to not wear safety gear?

Cold water and bravado or machismo or fashion concerns don't mix.

Hehe, not bad. Any PFD that does not keep your head up is not worth wearing. The main value in cold water is to keep you breathing after you pass out from the cold, otherwise you are gone as soon as you loose conciousness or muscle control. I was in near freezing water for about 15 minutes or so as a kid. The impact is unbelievable when you first hit the water, and I was barely able to walk or talk when I got out.