How to Survive The Open Water: Survival Tips 2012

If you are in the water, make your way to a raft. If no rafts are available, try to find a large piece of floating debris to cling to. Relax; a person who knows how to relax in ocean water is in very little danger of drowning. The body’s natural buoyancy will keep at least the top of the head above water, but some movement is needed to keep the face above water.
Floating on your back takes the least energy. Lie on your back in the water, spread your arms and legs, and arch your back. By controlling your breathing in and out, your face will always be out of the water and you may even sleep in this position for short periods. Your head will be partially submerged, but your face will be above water. If you cannot float on your back or if the sea is too rough, float facedown in the water as shown on the picture.

 

If you are in an area where surface oil is burning—
• Discard your shoes and buoyant life preserver. NOTE: If you have an uninflated life preserver, keep it.
• Cover your nose, mouth, and eyes and quickly go underwater.
• Swim underwater as far as possible before surfacing to breathe.
• Before surfacing to breathe and while still underwater, use your hands to push burning fluid away from the area where you wish to surface. Once an area is clear of burning liquid, you can surface and take a few breaths. Try to face downwind before inhaling.
• Submerge feet first and continue as above until clear of the flames.
If you are in oil-covered water that is free of fire, hold your head high to keep the oil out of your eyes. Attach your life preserver to your wrist and then use it as a raft.
You lose about 50 percent of your body heat through your head. Therefore, keep your head out of the water. Other areas of high heat loss are the neck, the sides, and the groin.
COLD WEATHER CONSIDERATIONS
If you are in a cold climate—
• Put on an antiexposure suit. If unavailable, put on any extra clothing available. Keep clothes loose and comfortable.
• Take care not to snag the raft with shoes or sharp objects. Keep the repair kit where you can readily reach it.
• Rig a windbreak, spray shield, and canopy.
• Try to keep the floor of the raft dry. Cover it with canvas or cloth for insulation.
• Huddle with others to keep warm, moving enough to keep the blood circulating. Spread an extra tarpaulin, sail, or parachute over the group.
• Give extra rations, if available, to men suffering from exposure to cold.
The greatest threat you face when submerged in cold water is death due to hypothermia. The average ocean temperature around the world is only 11 degrees C (51 degrees F). However, do not be fooled by warm water—hypothermia can even occur in 27- degree C (80-degree F) water. When you are immersed in cold water, hypothermia occurs rapidly due to the decreased insulating quality of wet clothing and the result of water displacing the layer of still air that normally surrounds the body. The rate of heat exchange in water is about 25 times greater than it is in air of the same temperature.
Life Expectancy Times for Immersion in Water
21.0–15.5 degrees C (70–60 degrees F) 12 hours
15.5–10.0 degrees C (60–50 degrees F) 6 hours
10.0–4.5 degrees C (50–40 degrees F) 1 hour
4.5 degrees C (40 degrees F) and below Less than 1 hour
NOTE: Wearing an antiexposure suit may increase these times up to a maximum of 24 hours.

Your best protection against the effects of cold water is to get into the life raft, stay dry, and insulate your body from the cold surface of the bottom of the raft. If these actions are not possible, wearing an ant exposure suit will extend your life expectancy considerably. Remember, keep your head and neck out of the water and well insulated from the cold water’s effects when the temperature is below 19 degrees C (66 degrees F). Wearing life preservers increases the predicted survival time as body position in the water increases the chance of survival.

Tagged with: Megatsunami • Survival Guide • survive 2012

Filed under: Mega Tsunami 2012 • Safety Tips 2012 • Survival Guide

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