Executive Producer Cecilia Duer National Water Safety Congress

Producer: Ted Rankine, Playsafe Productions

NASBLAWaikiki Beach, Honolulu, September 13, 2010

How many have seen…

Question on Survival

If you fell in ice water in normal clothing, how long do you think you would last before you became hypothermic?

Hypothermia – the public

Hypothermia – professionals

Estimates from 480 medical, paramedical and SAR personnel on how long a person can survive in ice water

%

minutes

Hypothermia – REALITY

An hour or more may be required for a person to become unconscious due to hypothermia IF a lifejacket or some other device eliminates the need for vigorous exercise and the airway is kept clear to keep from drowning.

Another hour before the heart stops.

Hypothermia – the past.

Hypothermia – the past.

You can die from Hypothermia in 5 to 10 minutes

So why should we care

Some drowning stats2006 U.S. Drownings

In water under 49 F / more than 50% of all boating accidents had a fatality

U.K. / Dr. M. Tipton

55% drowned within 10 feet of safety

Lifesaving Study / Canada 2000 – 2004 Boaters

60% drowned in water under 50 F 38 % in water 50 - 70 C43 % were less than 6 feet from safety

So what happens ?

3 Effects of Cold Water Immersion

• Gasp• Incapacitation• Hypothermia• (Circum-Rescue Collapse)

Recognized an Opportunity …

• To make people aware of the risks of accidental cold water immersion

• To encourage and promote life jacket wear

Reason behind the concept

• Research has shown that many people (still) believe that hypothermia can kill in 5 to 10 minutes.

• Research has shown that people don’t wear their lifejacket because for a variety of reasons including … ‘It won’t happen to me’

Why don’t you wear a lifejacket ?Why don’t you wear a lifejacket ? Video Video PSA PSA Poster Poster

I'm a good swimmerI'm a good swimmer 46%46% 42%42% 48%48%

I can put a lifejacket on if i need itI can put a lifejacket on if i need it 39%39% 45%45% 60% 60% AA

A lifejacket restricts my activity on the boatA lifejacket restricts my activity on the boat 33%33% 36%36% 44%44%

A pfd/lifejacket is not comfortableA pfd/lifejacket is not comfortable 35%35% 27%27% 44% 44% BB

I don't need to wear a lifejacket in shallow waterI don't need to wear a lifejacket in shallow water 28%28% 18%18% 32% 32% BB

I don't go far enough from shore to need a lifejacketI don't go far enough from shore to need a lifejacket 22% 22% CC 21% 21% CC 8%8%

I don't need to wear a lifejacket when the boat isn't I don't need to wear a lifejacket when the boat isn't movingmoving 17%17% 9%9% 20%20%

I don't think i will ever fall into the water and need a I don't think i will ever fall into the water and need a lifejacketlifejacket 7%7% 21% 21% ACAC 4%4%

I am a skilled boater and don't need a lifejacketI am a skilled boater and don't need a lifejacket 15% 15% BB 3%3% 8%8%

I don't think a lifejacket will help me if i go into the I don't think a lifejacket will help me if i go into the waterwater 2%2% 3%3% 4%4%

OtherOther 9%9% 6%6% 8%8%

None of theseNone of these 9%9% 9%9% 4%4%

Q: Which of the following reasons describe why you don’t always wear a PFD or lifejacket when boating?

Reasons for not always wearing PFD/ Lifejacket

Accomplish the goal by convincing the viewer

• They’re not weak, deficient, unmanly, un - whatever !

• It’s not their fault… it’s environmental

• It CAN happen to them

• To help people better understand and be more prepared to survive a cold water immersion

• Wearing a lifejacket will help you survive

Premise

Group of volunteers immersed in cold water

Record their responses

Create compelling multi media programming

Present messaging to the public

meets

The boot campersFit, water smart, geographic representation, role models

Dr G. Giesbrecht

• AKA Professor Popsicle

• World’s leading authority on freezing to death

• Hypothermic > 40 times

lifejackets

Cold Water Immersion

1 – 10 – 1

The first three effects /

Shock, Incapacitation and Hypothermia

Cold Shock !

Cold Shock !

1 - 10 – 1• Expect about 1 minute to get control of your

breathing

DON’T PANIC

• Concentrate on getting control of your breathing

• Figure out where you are and what you need to do to rescue yourself

At 43 seconds

Cold Water for ‘fun’

Cold Water for ‘fun’

Reality for most people

Reality for Canucks / Buckeyes

Reality for Canucks / Buckeyes

There is a risk of heart failure due to cold shock particularly if the person has an underlying heart condition.

Cold Shock Induced Heart Failure

Cold Shock Induced Heart Failure

Cold Incapacitation

1 - 10 – 1You have 10 minutes of meaningful movement to self rescue or prepare to wait it out to be rescued.

Cold Incapacitation• Body tries to decrease heat loss and

increase heat production

• Constriction of blood vessels in the limbs to decrease heat loss

• Shunting of blood to the core to maintain core body temperature

Cold Incapacitation

• Muscular failure

• Lose the ability to swim

• Lose the ability to maintain posture in the water

• Lose use of hands to perform survival tasks

Cold Incapacitation

Cold Incapacitation

Hypothermia

1 - 10 – 1Even in ice cold water (32 degrees F), an hour or more may be required for a person to become unconscious due to hypothermia IF a lifejacket or some other device eliminates the need for vigorous exercise to keep from drowning.

Hypothermia

Once a victim is unconscious, another hour or more may be required for the heart to stop if the head is kept above water (lifejacket worn) and the water is calm enough for waves not to wash over the mouth.

Our water is not cold !

Alcatraz‘ for killers too tough for steel walls alone to cage’

‘surrounded by freezing waters and hazardous currents’

‘most escapees never made it to the mainland, and usually turned back to be rescued from the freezing waters’

Frank Lee MorrisInmate 1441

John AnglinInmate 1476

Clarence AnglinInmate 1485

The Great escape on June 11 1962 … (and again with Clint Eastwood )

Our water is not cold

Lake Mead: Dec. through April average is under 60 F

Our water is not cold

Lake Pleasant, Arizona

Our water is not cold

Lake Pleasant, Arizona

Our water is not cold

Lake Pleasant, Arizona

Our water is not cold

Hawaii wins. Average temperature ranges from 75 in winter to 82 in summer.

Our water is not cold

Hawaii wins. Average temperature ranges from 75 in winter to 82 in summer.

Jim Howe: Operations Chief, Ocean Safety Division.

“ Most people associate hypothermia with cold climates. But hypothermia is possible in Hawaii, despite our warm waters and weather. People don't realize you can get hypothermia in our waters," It's not as severe as in cold climates, but it happens all the time.“

Dr. Libby Char, director of Emergency Services

"That's why in the ocean, you can (get) hypothermia so fast, just being wet."

Just how cold IS cold water ?

• Can be as warm as 68 to 77 F

• Body temperature is 98.6 F

• Real ‘at risk’ temperature is 68 F

• Cold shock prevalent at under 59F

• Shock increases as temperatures decrease

How has Boot Camp done ?

Research

Persuasion – Behavour & Attitude Change

• Changes in lifejacket usage• Changes in attitudes to lifejackets and cold water

Emotional Engagement & Entertainment

• Likeability• Specific likes/ dislikes• Emotional and entertainment attributes• Stop watching points• Participant ratings

Education• Informational /education attributes• New learning• Amount and type of information• Knowledge of “cold” water temp

Message Communication • Unaided main message • Aided specific message communication • Message believability / importance• Message clarity

5151

The CWBC program has a big impact on attitudes towards lifejackets, with the biggest shift regarding wearing of a lifejacket while boating.

Shift 1.29 1.16 1.13 -0.85 -0.94 0.78 0.49

Mean

10 – Strongly agree

1 – Strongly disagree

51=Sig. Dif.

Q: How much do you agree or disagree with the following? Base: Total (147)

Attitude Shift – PFD/ Lifejacket

5252

The biggest shift post viewing of the video is increased concern about cold water regardless of the season/ time of year. Respondents also feel more prepared about the event of a cold water immersion.

Attitude Shift – Cold Water

Shift -2 1.15 0.79 -0.78 -0.7

Mean

10 – Strongly agree

1 – Strongly disagree

=Sig. Dif.Q: How much do you agree or disagree with the following? Base: Total (147)

5353

Claimed PFD/ lifejacket usage improves following viewing of CWBC, with a significant increase in respondents saying they will always wear a PFD when boating.

=Sig. Dif.Q: How often do you personally wear a PFD when boating? Base: Total (147)

PFD Usage

Pre Pre ViewinViewin

gg

Post Post ViewinViewin

gg

Always/ Always/ UsuallyUsually

78%78% 89%89%

Rarely/ NeverRarely/ Never 10%10% 3%3%

Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources +2,500 vessels onthe water

CWBC is mandatory viewing

for all on or near-water staff

ALL teams Hyper-prepared Known factors:

Rescue Swimmer / Recue Diver Boat crew Emergency Medical Personnel Air and Land Transport Teams

Hospital

Unknowns: Reaction of “Boot Camper” at entry Deterioration levels Condition at exit

Your awareness tools correlate well to expected presentations during Sea kayak / Canoe rescues and will be adapted into our rescue training - well done.

Our SAR team has a very active Water Rescue component; the info from this video would be very informative in training our members regarding cold water immersion of victims and our own personnel.

Approximately 20 % of severely hypothermic

victims die during or shortly after rescue

In WW 11, German Air Sea Rescue Services noted how aircrew who had ditched in the channel and were conscious and even aided in their own rescue became unconscious and died shortly after rescue.

Sixteen Danish fishermen were in the North Sea for 2-3 hours before being rescued. They walked across the deck of the rescue vessel and went down into the galley to warm up. Each and everyone collapsed and died in the galley.

There is no precise core temperature at which the human body perishes from cold

The lowest recorded core temperature in a surviving adult is 60.8 degrees.

In 1994, a two-year-old girl in Saskatchewan wandered out of her house into a minus-40 night. She was found near her doorstep the next morning, limbs frozen solid, her core temperature 57 degrees. She lived.

No one should be considered dead until they are warm and dead

RescueRecoveryRewarm

Taking boot camp “beyond” getting people

into lifejackets by providing a hands on

educational tool for first responders and the accidental rescuer

No previously healthy person should die from a cold water immersion or

hypothermic incident if they have been rescued, recovered and re-warmed appropriately and properly and in a

timely manner.

Weather report for our shoot dates.

An intense winter storm tracked across the Midwest on December 8 and 9.  This storm produced widespread blizzard conditions.  As the low tracked into the Great Lakes, a strong cold front swept through the Ohio Valley, dropping temperatures and bringing very gusty winds to much of the region. Highest Measured Wind Gusts 61 mph

on Location: the rescue crew

United States Coast Guard and Auxiliary Public Safety Water Rescue Teams Commercial / Industry Vessel Operators State Boating Law Enforcement Agents Army Corps of Engineers Personnel The ‘accidental rescuers ‘… the public

Triage and Treatment Fireside Chat Extraction Thermal protection realities

Special Notes For Recreational Boating Public

Cold Water Survival / Rescue Recover Re-warming hands-on course offered with Continuing

Education credits. by the National Water Safety Congress

DVD's for distribution direct to Boating and Water Safety Educators and First Responders

Web delivery and downloading

Cecilia Duer Executive ProducerInstructor TrainerExecutive Director

National Water Safety CongressDirector@watersafetycongress.org

Michael Ulrich Jerry CraddockExecutive Producers

Instructor Trainerswww.watersafetycongress.org