OutdoorNebraska

44 ■ Chapter 5 • Focus on locating and getting everyone out of the water quickly before you lose full use of your hands, arms, and legs. Try to reboard your boat, even if it is swamped or capsized, or anything else that is floating. Get as much of your body out of the water as possible. Even though you may feel colder out of the water, the rate of heat loss will be slower than if immersed in water. • If you cannot get out of the water quickly, act to protect against rapid heat loss. In as little as 10 minutes, you may be unable to self-rescue. Your focus now should be to slow heat loss. - Stay as motionless as possible, protecting the high heat loss areas of your body, and keep your head and neck out of the water. - Safety typically looks closer than it actually is, so staying with the boat is usually a better choice than swimming. - Adopt a position to reduce heat loss. If alone, use the HELP (Heat Escape Lessening Posture) position; or if there are others in the water with you, huddle together. - If you must swim, conserve energy and minimize movement. Swim on your back with your upper arms against the sides of your chest, your thighs together, and your knees bent. Flutter-kick with your lower legs. • Be prepared at all times to signal rescuers. ◆ When treating victims of cold water immersion, you should: • Get the victim out of the water as soon as possible. Remove the victim from the water gently and in a horizontal position. • Prevent further heat loss. • Treat the hypothermia victim gently and to your level of training. Be prepared to provide basic life support. • Seek medical help immediately. Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Carbon monoxide (CO) is an invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is produced when a carbon-based fuel burns. CO can make you sick in seconds. In high enough concentrations, even a few breaths can be fatal. Sources of CO on your boat may include gasoline engines, gas generators, cooking ranges, and heaters. ◆ Early symptoms of CO poisoning include irritated eyes, headache, nausea, weakness, and dizziness. They often are confused with seasickness or intoxi- cation. Move anyone with these symptoms to fresh air immediately. Seek medical attention—unless you're sure it's not CO. ◆ To protect yourself and others against CO poisoning while boating: • Allow fresh air to circulate throughout the boat at all times, even during bad weather. • Know where your engine and generator exhaust outlets are located and keep everyone away from these areas. • Never sit on the back deck, "teak surf," or hang on the swim platform while the engines are running. • Never enter areas under swim platforms where exhaust outlets are located— even for a second. One or two breaths in this area could be fatal. • Ventilate immediately if exhaust fumes are detected on the boat. • Install and maintain CO detectors inside your boat. Replace detectors as recommended by the manufacturer. ◆ Before each boating trip, you should: • Make sure you know where the exhaust outlets are located on your boat. • Educate all passengers about the symptoms of CO poisoning and where CO may accumulate. • Confirm that water flows from the exhaust outlet when the engines and generator are started. Swimmers should never enter an enclosed area under the swim platform—even for a second. One or two breaths of the air in this area could be fatal. Huddling with other people in the water lessens the loss of body heat and is good for morale. Also, rescuers can spot a group more easily than individuals. This position protects the body's three major areas of heat loss (groin, head/neck, and rib cage/armpits). Wearing a PFD allows you to draw your knees to your chest and your arms to your sides. H.E.L.P. Heat Escape Lessening Postures Natural air flows can suck fumes forward onto the vessel. Exhaust from Engine and Generator DANGER! Air Pocket & Water Under Step Swim Platform Copyright © 2014 Boat Ed, www.boat-ed.com

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