This is taken from the website of a newspaper in Canada. Obviously, this has to do with inland waterways, not the open ocean.
Matthew
Boat capsized? Advice changes on what to do
Staying with the boat not always the best idea unless traffic is heavy, government scientist says
June 27, 2007
Swimming may be your best bet against drowning if you're plunged into icy waters while boating, a new federally funded study says.
"What I'm saying is don't use the old saying `you should always stay with the boat'," says Michel DuCharme, a scientist with Defence Research and Development Canada.
"This is not necessarily the best solution, or the best strategy for survival. Look around you and find the best option."
The study appears in the National Research Council journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism. The paper points out that recent research by the Canadian Red Cross showed that 60 per cent of those who survived cold-water emersions swam for shore or other dry sanctuary. Only 30 per cent of survivors stayed with their craft.
DuCharme says traditional advice was based on decades-old studies that suggested cold water would rapidly rob anyone dumped in it of the ability to swim. The thinking was that being as sedentary as possible best preserved body temperature.
DuCharme's team looked at 35 people who were dunked into water with temperatures of 10, 14 and 23 degrees Celsius.
They found that in all temperature ranges, people wearing a life jacket could swim between 800 and 1,000 metres, or about 45 minutes, before their arms and legs stopped working from the cold.
DuCharme says that on most Canadian lakes or rivers, a swim of that distance or duration would get people to shore.
As with any crisis situation, remaining calm offers the best hope of survival, the report says. In particular, not panicking in the first two to three minutes after emersion in the icy water is crucial, as the shock of the cold water impairs thinking and breathing. DuCharme says that breathing will return to normal and people should use that teeth-chattering time to assess the situation and determine if swimming is a viable option.
On populated lakes with a lot of boat traffic, staying with the boat remains the best idea, the study says. But swimming makes more sense on remote lakes and rivers where a quick rescue is unlikely, the report says.
"In the wilderness, where I have seen nobody over the last five days, what's the point of waiting for a rescuer?" DuCharme says.
DuCharme says adults should consider swimming with or without life preservers on, and the swimming option also applies to children wearing life preservers.
"I know very well that if I was with my kids, I would ask them to start swimming," DuCharme says.
Matthew
Boat capsized? Advice changes on what to do
Staying with the boat not always the best idea unless traffic is heavy, government scientist says
June 27, 2007
Swimming may be your best bet against drowning if you're plunged into icy waters while boating, a new federally funded study says.
"What I'm saying is don't use the old saying `you should always stay with the boat'," says Michel DuCharme, a scientist with Defence Research and Development Canada.
"This is not necessarily the best solution, or the best strategy for survival. Look around you and find the best option."
The study appears in the National Research Council journal Applied Physiology, Nutrition and Metabolism. The paper points out that recent research by the Canadian Red Cross showed that 60 per cent of those who survived cold-water emersions swam for shore or other dry sanctuary. Only 30 per cent of survivors stayed with their craft.
DuCharme says traditional advice was based on decades-old studies that suggested cold water would rapidly rob anyone dumped in it of the ability to swim. The thinking was that being as sedentary as possible best preserved body temperature.
DuCharme's team looked at 35 people who were dunked into water with temperatures of 10, 14 and 23 degrees Celsius.
They found that in all temperature ranges, people wearing a life jacket could swim between 800 and 1,000 metres, or about 45 minutes, before their arms and legs stopped working from the cold.
DuCharme says that on most Canadian lakes or rivers, a swim of that distance or duration would get people to shore.
As with any crisis situation, remaining calm offers the best hope of survival, the report says. In particular, not panicking in the first two to three minutes after emersion in the icy water is crucial, as the shock of the cold water impairs thinking and breathing. DuCharme says that breathing will return to normal and people should use that teeth-chattering time to assess the situation and determine if swimming is a viable option.
On populated lakes with a lot of boat traffic, staying with the boat remains the best idea, the study says. But swimming makes more sense on remote lakes and rivers where a quick rescue is unlikely, the report says.
"In the wilderness, where I have seen nobody over the last five days, what's the point of waiting for a rescuer?" DuCharme says.
DuCharme says adults should consider swimming with or without life preservers on, and the swimming option also applies to children wearing life preservers.
"I know very well that if I was with my kids, I would ask them to start swimming," DuCharme says.
Remember, when the sun goes down, the food chain reverses.