Hypothermia Death

[Rotte]

I read this short article a couple days ago and it has kinda haunted me since. I've hiked and fished up at the reservoir where this took place a few times. It's a really nice spot in the foothills, not far from Eagle peak:

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office was called to the reservoir near Rampart Range Road about 12:15 p.m. Sunday to investigate a report of a body on the shore.

Deputies found that Ikehara had been ice fishing on the lake when he fell into the water. He pulled himself from the water and toward the shore but succumbed to the cold.

His body had apparently been there overnight before it was discovered, the Sheriff's Office said.

I feel sympathy for the victim's family, but I'm also trying to learn a lesson here. There just aren't that many details.

I've never been ice-fishing but would like to give it a try, especially with a decoy and spear. This is a stark reminder how dangerous playing on ice can be. In this case, Ikehara managed to get out of the reservoir and pull himself toward the shore, but hypothermia set in too quickly. He may have been in the water for a while before he got out and become chilled. Once the cold had sapped his strength and slowed his nervous system he may not have had the ability to get dry and warm.

If he had had someone with him, I bet he could have been rescued faster and rewarmed. Otherwise, I'm not sure how the hypothermia risk could have been mitigated (assuming he had good clothing, matches, etc). Maybe a safety line?

I love playing in the cold, but this is a big reminder to keep from getting wet when out in sub-zero temps. Be safe y'all.

 

[dougo83]

Man that sucks. I definitely feel for the family in a situation like that. Being from down here where the only ice I see comes from the freezewr, I admittedly wouldn't know the first thing about surviving a fall through ice(outside of build a bigass fire). Something to look into for sure.

 

[Skimo]

The lesson is to ice fish with a shack.

No shack, no wind break, no extra clothes, no fire already going is no good.

Chances are the ice was thin and he ignored safety or was simply ignorant about how thick the ice should be.

What we can all take from this is a mental plan on what to do should get drenched in ice cold water while alone, along with taking precautions to avoid preventable accidents like this.

 

[6shooter]

A few of us got together on Sunday, and walking along the river on the way back, bushman5 came up with the idea of taking his 'dunk test' a step further. Doing a clothed full-body submersion in sub-zero temperatures, to see what its like to deal with the shock of such cold water, and then getting out and trying to start a fire and get warm in cold, wet clothes, and freezing hands. (all this under supervised conditions of course)

Not sure I'd be really keen on trying that, but i can absolutley see the merrit of the idea, seems about the only way to prepare yourself for such an experience.

Stories like this are always tragic, but it's good to try and learn from them.

 

[Rotte]

Last year I was snowshoeing up in Rocky Mountain National Park when I fell through some snow/ice. I was following a small stream through some timber. The stream was covered in ice and snow and made a convenient 'highway' through a timbered area. I stepped on a weak spot and crashed through into the stream.

The water was not very deep and I was able to pull myself out quickly, I had gaiters and nylon pants on and was able to get relatively dry fairly quickly. Some brisk snowshoeing got me warm and I dried out over the course of the day. Still, a bit unnerving.

I was with a friend who spent the rest of the trip laughing at me. What are friends for?

 

[Gadgetaholic]

Stories like this are always tragic, but it's good to try and learn from them.

It is too late to do anything for the unfortunate victim - but everyone else gets an opportunity to learn. Some mistakes are better not to learn for yourself because there is always the possibility that you may not survive them.

To me the most obvious thing to learn is that falling through the ice is something to avoid. If you are alone then getting a fire going may not be possible - hypothermia and numb hands could render you unable to get the job done!

 

[PayetteRucker]

We do alot of ice fishing in WI, particularly for sturgeon. A big issue is snowmobilers and ice fishers that go through the ice. In high school I spent alot of time volunteering for Civil Air Patrol, who at any given time has a plane over a lake somewhere in Wisconsin looking for a hole that someone went through in the ice to coordinate ground rescue efforts. Alot of people die every year doing stupid stuff on ice.

 

[DOC-CANADA]

A few of us got together on Sunday, and walking along the river on the way back, bushman5 came up with the idea of taking his 'dunk test' a step further. Doing a clothed full-body submersion in sub-zero temperatures, to see what its like to deal with the shock of such cold water, and then getting out and trying to start a fire and get warm in cold, wet clothes, and freezing hands. (all this under supervised conditions of course)

Not sure I'd be really keen on trying that, but i can absolutley see the merrit of the idea, seems about the only way to prepare yourself for such an experience.

Stories like this are always tragic, but it's good to try and learn from them.

There's a guy named Gordon Giesbrecht, a professor at the University of Manitoba where he operates the Laboratory for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, that did this very thing as part of a study on Hypothermia, Frostbite and other Cold Injuries ( actually the title of his book, seen here) - much recommended! :thumbup:

Doc

 

[Iboschi]

Thanks for sharing. Sad but important reminder to be careful in sub zero temps. It really is possible to get desensitized to anything and take your environment for granted, as demonstrated here.

 

[6shooter]

There's a guy named Gordon Giesbrecht, a professor at the University of Manitoba where he operates the Laboratory for Exercise and Environmental Medicine, that did this very thing as part of a study on Hypothermia, Frostbite and other Cold Injuries ( actually the title of his book, seen here) - much recommended! :thumbup:

Doc

Thanks for that Doc, they've got it at Chapters online as well, and I still have a gift card from christmas, I may put it towards this:thumbup:

 

[Suveges]

I do a fair bit of ice fishing here. There are charts you can look up to determine safe ice thickness if you're walking/driving/etc. but I always go conservative. 6" minimum for walking on, 2ft. for driving a truck on. Always have your picks handy!

 

[DWK2]

I haven't done much ice fishing when I've been in colder climates (because it's usually hunting season ). However, after years of reading about people falling through ice, I might consider wearing the full drysuit that I have for rafting/canoeing/kayaking. It is a breathable material and not terribly uncomfortable (undoubtedly a lot more comfortable than falling into ice water unprotected). It also does a good job of keeping the wind off you.

DancesWithKnives

 

[Bushman5]

EVERYONE, when out on the ice should have the following. The stuff is DIRT CHEAP and you can SELF RESCUE if need be.

- ice spikes http://www.nordicskater.com/safety/index.html
- whistle
- flotation device
- ice suit, hi viz
- rescue rope (rescue yourself, rescue others)

 

[raybadge]

Sometimes I think that every time I read that something like this goes wrong it involves an experienced outdoorsman who is alone, has an accident, and is ill equiped. I guess I've concluded that you always have to be able to start a fire, boil water, put up a primitive shelter, and signal for help no matter what you plan to do in the woods or how long you expect to be there.

 

[WoodenChicken]

I don't know anything about ice fishing, but I witnessed another way that hypothermia can attack a person. as a youth inn the early 1980's I had a job working for an outfitter in the Rocky Mts. of Colorado. In the Winter when hunting season was over, we did logging for lodges that he built, and we were out in some very cold weather.
One day we were securing some big pines to the sled, and the load shifted a bit and seemingly bumped my co worker in the leg. He "walked it off" and then suddenly got nauseous and weak. I guess between the pain and the cold, he was in a type of shock. Within minutes, he could not hold himself upright, and was slurring his words. The rancher and I dumped the logs from the sled and as the rancher drove the several miles back to the ranch house, I sat on the sled fighting to keep him from falling off into the snow.
The guy was quite delerious, and I remember him saying:
"Don't take me to the hospital--fat nurses, Goodyear blimps...." I swear that's what he said.

When we got back to the ranch, I was dragging him into the house as the rancher went in to prepare some hot tea or coffee. My co-worker spit a mouthful of Copenhagen into my chest as I was bringing him into the house, but I forgave him.
Within minutes of getting some hot fluid, a blanket and a warm house, he was back to his old obnoxious self.

The lesson I learned all those years ago was that shock/hypothermia can come on or be induced by cold and an INJURY. Never forgot that.

 

[fujita yuji]

Never knew it comes so quickly.
Learned another life saving knowledge.

Thanks Rotte. This thread is very informative.

 

[HornyToad]

I have a Colman propane radiant heater the I use in the deer stand if it is really cold. That would be a lot quicker than trying to start a fire. Not sure how low a temperature they still work.

 

[jw2n]

Ben East wrote a story of several fisherman capsizing in the Great Lakes. The sole survivor was dressed completely in several layers of wool. It was determined that simply the difference in clothing saved him.

In Dec 1979, I was shooting in the Nortwest corner of the UP, Michigan. Unbeknown to us, is that we were walking over a frozen stream as we traipsed between the targets and shooting line. I was walking back from the targets and suddenly fell thru the snow. The other two who were with me pulled me out. My right foot and leg were soaked to mid thigh. The temp was -30 f. My leg and foot immediately became numb, and the boot and pants started freezing. They helped haul me to the truck, stripped from the waist down, and got my leg under the heater as we hauled ass back to their house. I dried my leg and foot with a rag that was in the truck. I suffered no permanent damage, but was surprised at how quickly my foot and leg numbed. Had I been alone, or without the warm truck nearby, the story could have been very different. And it happens in the blink of an eye.

 

[Rockywolf]

Stripping off wet clothing is key. A wool blanket and even a candle can be difference between life and possible death. Thanks Rotte for the reminder.

 

[moonwilson]

I got hypothermia years ago kayaking with my Dad and his friends in the early spring. It was a cold day, and I was wet and miserable most of the time. I ended up rolling in the last set of rapids before the portage out. I made it to the shore, but was so cold and frozen up I couldn't get out of my boat- I was shaking so hard, I couldn't move my hands or even speak. I was aware of what was happening around me, but I simply couldn't control my body. If there weren't a bunch of other folks around to help me out, I'm sure I would have croaked. My Dad threw me over his shoulder like a rag doll, and hauled me up to the truck. He stripped off my clothes and tossed me naked into the cab with the heater blasting, and gave me a blanket. Dad and his friends took pictures and made fun of me for being a "pussy". When the pictures were developed, I looked like a ghost- I was blue.

Anybody who says hypothermia is a nice way to go is full of it. It was decidedly UN-pleasant.