Tahoe water enthusiasts should know dangers of cold water shock before going to lake
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Fri, 06/02/2023 - 10:00am
Every year the public is warned about the dangers of cold water shock, but every year, people die in Lake Tahoe not due to a lack of swimming skill or hypothermia, but often due to cold water shock.
"The sudden lowering of skin temperature on immersion in cold water represents one of the most profound stimuli that the body can encounter," according to Golden and Tipton in Essentials of Sea Survival.
It is important for those on, and in, the lake to understand the phrase "1-10-1." This refers to the three critical phases of cold water immersion.
1 - Cold Shock. An initial deep and sudden gasp followed by hyperventilation that can be as much as 600-1000 percent greater than normal breathing. You must keep your airway clear or run the risk of drowning. Cold Shock will pass in about one minute. During that time concentrate on avoiding panic and getting control of your breathing. Wearing a lifejacket during this phase is critically important to keep you afloat and breathing.
10 - Cold Incapacitation. Over approximately the next 10 minutes you will lose the effective use of your fingers, arms, and legs for any meaningful movement. Concentrate on self-rescue initially, and if that isn’t possible, prepare to have a way to keep your airway clear to wait for rescue. Swim failure will occur within these critical minutes and if you are in the water without a lifejacket, drowning will likely occur.
1 - Hypothermia. Even in ice water, it could take approximately one hour before becoming unconscious due to hypothermia. If you understand the aspects of hypothermia, techniques of how to delay it, self-rescue and calling for help, your chances of survival and rescue will be dramatically increased.
Most of the people who die in Lake Tahoe die during that first minute, mainly due to not wearing a life jacket and going underwater from shock in cold water.
"Swimming ability has nothing to do with cold water shock," said Park Ranger Jay Howard of Nevada State Parks at Sand Harbor during a 2016 press conference on cold water shock.
During that first minute, a life jacket or personal floatation device (PFD) is key. If it is in the boat, or on the paddleboard, it may not help as the body is in panic concentrating on breathing. As most first responders on the lake will say, they have never pulled out a body that had a life jacket on.
While this may seem harsh, it is the reality in a cold body of water like Lake Tahoe.
When a water enthusiast jumps into Lake Tahoe, the effects on a body are much different than in warm water. If going into the water, doing so feet first is key and diving in is a different situation.
When a swimmer's head goes under cold water they will have an involuntary gasp. The gasp brings water into the lungs. More chances of survival when that first gasp is above water, the reason for going in feet first.
If falling off a board or boat, the choice of feet or head first is taken away. If wearing a PFD, it will not be head first for more than a moment at most. If not wearing one, the head is under for longer and the person runs the risk of cold water shock.
At Sand Harbor, there is a PFD lending station on the boat ramp, South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue offers them for free as well.
Most of the drownings on Lake Tahoe happen in minutes or even seconds. The best way for boaters, paddlers, and swimmers to stay safe is to always wear a life jacket. Even if a boater or paddler does not expect to enter the water, they should prepare for the unexpected.
Some tips to stay safe on Lake Tahoe include:
- Never swim alone.
- Tell a friend or file a "float plan" before boating, swimming or paddling.
- Check the weather for wind conditions http://www.weather.gov/ before going out.
- Know your swimming limitations and always wear a life jacket when boating.
- Never operate a boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Never dive into cold water and always prepare for accidental immersion.
