Early fishing brings dangers

Sometimes it's a canoeist or kayaker who capsizes a watercraft. Other times it's an early season angler who falls overboard or swims to retrieve a boat drifting away from a boat landing. Or it could be a playful child who tumbles into a lake or stream.

If they aren't wearing a life vest in cold water, it doesn't matter how good a person's swimming skills are, said Tim Smalley, DNR water safety specialist.

Cold water robs body heat 25 times faster than air of the same temperature. Smalley compared it to holding your hand in a cooler of ice and water for more than a couple of minutes.

When a victim's head submerges after falling overboard from a boat or struggling while swimming in cold water, it causes an involuntary gasp reflex, sometimes called cold water shock. The person tries to inhale underwater and can drown without coming back to the surface if not wearing a life jacket.

After the gasp, a person immersed in cold water will hyperventilate for about one minute. They need to try to get control of their breathing quickly in that situation. Otherwise, they can easily inhale more than a quart of water.

Exposure of the head and chest to cold water causes sudden increases in heart rate and blood pressure that may result in cardiac arrest in victims with heart problems. Foam insulation in a life vest can help shield the heart, lungs and other vital organs from the debilitating effects of the cold, at least for a while.

"Your hands stiffen up so you can't zip on a life vest or climb back onto an overturned boat," Smalley said. "After 10 minutes all you'll be able to do is float in your life vest. Even the ability to kick your feet to swim becomes severely hampered."

Smalley offered these additional safety tips:

• People should always wear a life vest and not get into situations where they might intentionally enter or accidentally fall into cold water without a survival plan.

• People shouldn't swim after a boat or other object drifting away from shore.

• People should try to get back into or on top of a capsized boat immediately.

• Those wearing a life vest should try to stay as still as possible if they can't get out of the water, because movement pumps cold water through clothing and over skin.

Victims should help conserve body heat by folding their arms across their chest, crossing their legs, tucking their knees toward their chest, and floating until help arrives.

For more information about the dangers associated with cold water, request the free booklet "Hypothermia, the Cold Facts" available by calling the DNR at (651) 296-6157 or (888) 646-6367 or by e-mail at info@dnr.state. mn.us. It may also be downloaded from the DNR Web site at www.dnr.state. mn.us/boating. Click on "boat and water safety program" then on "publications."