How to Survive Falling thru Ice/Hypothermia by Griffioli

Just came across a great, quick to-do list to avoid falling through ice, how to get out if you do, and ways to avoid hypothermia. Hope you NEVER need to use it!

Some facts first:
Hypothermia sets in at 95 degrees
Unconsciousness at 86 degrees

Ice needs to be at least 4 inches (about the height of a coffee mug) to be safe to walk/skate on. Some signs of weak ice include snow on the ice (which can insulate), slush, and grey ice (caused by water, sign of melting).

So, if you do fall in, try to avoid gasping (normal physiologic response). If you can't, try to cover your nose and mouth. If water hits your throat, it will cause cold shock and muscle spasms will close your throat and make you unable to breathe. If you do gasp and can't breathe, remain calm as this will only last for up to a minute.

Orient yourself. Turn and face the direction from which you fell. If you are under water, look for the hole you fell through. The ice you walked on is the safest place of escape, as it was able to hold you for some time. Don't pull yourself straight up. Your wet clothes and weakened state will make it next to impossible to get out. Instead, use the kick, pull, roll method. Kick one or both feet to propel yourself like a dolphin out of the hole (at an angle rather than straight up) , then pull yourself out. DO NOT stand up! Instead, roll away, which disperses your body weight and makes the ice less likely to break.

Your next goal? Warm up! But do it slowly! You will still be losing heat, but you must be careful not to warm up too quickly. Beware "after drop", which is where the cold blood from your extremities circulates back to your core body. Signs of hypothermia can be confusion, uncontrolled shivering, and loss of motor control.

Do NOT rub your legs and arms. You want to concentrate on warming your torso, or "core" first. Do not get too close to the camp fire or other heat source. This causes your blood vessels to dilate and sends cold blood from extremities to your core. Find the warmest, driest place you can and get out of your wet clothes. Wet clothes trap in cold air. Dry off with whatever you can and wrap yourself in whatever dry material you can. Sip warm drinks, but not too fast. Obviously, this is all done while hopefully emergency help is on it's way.

In about an hour you'll be back to 98.6 degrees and have a hell of a story to tell your friends!

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