The Power of Adrenaline

Please watch this video and read the article on Coldwater Bootcamp. Incredible footage of hypothermic person shutting down near shore - you could drown near shore due to your brain's shutoff of adrenaline.

When a victim sees the shore and thinks they are safe, or a victim is on the hands of a rescuer, their body stops releasing adrenaline. Unfortunately, without that adrenaline, their body shuts down. Watch as Megan experiences this when she reaches the shore and finds herself unable to move. This is an example of how the skills covered in Rescue, Recover, Re-warm can be used by responders to save lives. First Responders need to encourage the victim to keep working to assist in their own rescue, recovery, and re-warming process.

Hypothermia is a common risk to us sailors in our frigid pacific waters. The article below points out some interesting steps to take in an emergency that are worth a read. Look at the re-warm part of this interesting article.

Rescue, Recovery and Re-warm – the Maritime 3 Rs

When we were kids, it was all about readin’, ritin’ and ‘rithmatic. On the sea, especially in cold water environments, it is all about rescue, recovery and re-warming. I don’t expect that there are currently many boaters out there on our bays, lakes and coastal waters. But some are out there, and it’s important that they know what to do if they or a crew member falls into the water.

 See Full Article here