Cold Water Kills in Minutes...

Drowning is the number one cause of death in the BC Fishing Industry.  It occurs quickly in cold water.  In just a few short minutes a life can be lost. Cold water is defined as water below 25 degrees celsius.  The most crippling effects occur at 15 degrees and less.  The average temperature of  BC waters are usually 14 degrees celcius or less.  Cold Water Kills…in minutes.

There are four stages of cold water immersion you should be aware of:  Cold Shock, Swimming Failure, Hypothermia and Post Rescue Collapse.  Check out the video clips below to find out more.

For BC’s commercial fishermen, understanding how cold water affects the body is important.  Knowledge, training, practiced safety procedures, proper use of safety equipment and survival strategies are vital.