Cold water is a major cause of recreational drowning in Canada. According to The Lifesaving Society of Canada, an organization that works to prevent drowning and water-related injuries, 492 Canadians drowned in 2005 (the last year for which complete data is available). Even though the long-term drowning trend is down, it is still the third leading cause of accidental death in Canada for people 60 years of age and under. Ironically, the majority of people who drown had no intention of going into the water and most incidents occur in unsupervised outdoor waterways.
The Cold Water Boot Camp is on a mission to try and reduce drowning deaths in Canada’s chilly waters. As The Lifesaving Society pointed out, 94 per cent of people who drowned did so in water that was 20 degrees Celsius or less. The Boot Camp project aims to educate people about the dangers of cold water in order to reduce and/or prevent these cold water drowning deaths.
The Cold Water Boot Camp DVD is an undertaking by many different organizations in Canada including the Canadian Safe Boating Council, Transport Canada, the National Search and Rescue Secretariat, The Lifesaving Society, and Helly Hansen. The DVD discusses 1-10-1, a phrase coined by Dr. Gordon Giesbrecht, another one of the project’s partners. 1-10-1 stands for the first three phases of cold water immersion and how long each phase takes.
- 1 - Cold shock is the initial phase. It involves the plunge into the frigid water and the loss of breath; it lasts about a minute. Hyperventilation occurs and it’s vital at this point to focus on not panicking and trying to control your breath.
- 10 – Cold incapacitation sets in after cold shock. For around ten minutes, you will lose the use of your limbs and the ability to swim. If you do not have a lifejacket on, drowning may occur. Self-rescue is essential.
- 1 - Hypothermia can take up to an hour to set in. Knowing how to delay hypothermia and get rescued increases your chances of survival.
One factor the majority of drowning victims share is that they aren’t wearing a lifejacket. Most people who die in cold water die from cold shock, not hypothermia. Wearing a lifejacket will greatly increase a person’s chances of survival. Most people think if they fall into the water, they will be able to grab their lifejacket and put it on but cold shock makes that almost impossible. Think of your lifejacket as your seatbelt in the water. Of the approximately 500 people that drown every year in Canada’s waters, a third of them are boaters and 90 per cent of those boaters are not wearing a lifejacket.
Even if it's warm outside, water in Canada is often still frigid and can kill. Order your Cold Water Boot Camp DVD today or you can download and watch videos from the DVD on the website. What you learn might save your life!
Toby Welch - Toby is a full-time freelance writer who specializes in magazine articles, online writing, e-books, and manuscript editing.
