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3. Chapter Five Boating Emergencies

4. Key Topics Minimize Risk of Drowning—Wear Life Jackets
Reducing the Risk of Capsizing, Swamping, or Falling Overboard
Learning Emergency Techniques
Coping With Cold Water Immersion & Hypothermia
Understanding Heat-Related Illnesses
Handling Weather Emergencies

5. Objectives You should be able to …
Properly size a life jacket for a wearer and check a life jacket’s condition.
Take the proper safety actions if a paddlecraft capsizes or is swamped or if someone falls overboard.
Explain emergency rescue techniques.
Explain the danger and stages of cold water immersion and the keys to surviving it.

6. Objectives (cont.) Recognize the symptoms of hypothermia.
Give the causes and symptoms of heat- related illnesses—heat exhaustion, heat stroke, heat cramps, and dehydration—and explain how to prevent and treat them.
Obtain weather forecasts, recognize weather warnings, and know what to do if caught in severe weather.

7. Boating Emergencies In an emergency, your rescue priorities are:
People
Boat
Gear

8. Wear Life Jackets The laws regarding life jackets: Readily Accessible
Proper Size
Good and Serviceable Condition

9. Capsizing, Swamping, Falling Overboard
Reducing the Risk of
Capsizing, Swamping, Falling Overboard
Since canoes and kayaks are more prone to capsizing than larger vessels, paddlers should know what to do in case of emergencies involving capsizing, swamping, or falling overboard.

10. Preventing and Preparing for
Capsizing, Swamping, Falling Overboard
Ask everyone in boat to wear a life jacket.
Don’t overload boat.
Balance weight of passengers and gear.

11. Preventing and Preparing for
Capsizing, Swamping, Falling Overboard
Keep your body centered in boat with center of gravity low.
Don’t allow people to stand up or move around while underway. If you must move, keep three points of contact with your hands and feet.
Don’t boat in rough water or bad weather.

12. Capsizing, Swamping, Falling Overboard
If you capsize or swamp boat, or fall overboard and can’t get back in:
Stay with the boat.
If not wearing a life jacket, find one and put it on. If you can’t put it on, hold onto it. Have passengers do same.
Take a head count.
Signal for help.

13. Capsizing, Swamping, Falling Overboard
(cont.)
If boat is still floating, try
to reboard or climb onto
it. Get as much of your
body out of the cold water
as possible.
If close to shore, hold onto boat with one hand, use other to sidestroke toward shore.
If boat sinks or floats away, look for other items in the water to help support you.

14. Rescuing Someone Who Falls Overboard
Toss victim a PFD, preferably Type IV.
Turn around and pull alongside victim. Approach into wind or into current, whichever is stronger.
If in a canoe, pull victim into canoe.
If in a kayak, have victim crawl onto stern deck so you can tow him or her to safety.

15. Learning Emergency Techniques
Performing boat-over-boat rescue

16. Learning Emergency Techniques (cont.)
Towing a swimmer with a kayak

17. Learning Emergency Techniques (cont.)
Bulldozing a boat

18. Cold Water Immersion & Hypothermia
There are four stages of cold water immersion.
Stage 1: Initial “cold shock”
Occurs first 3 – 5 minutes
Stage 2: Short-term “swim failure”
Occurs 3 – 30 minutes following immersion
Stage 3: Long-term immersion hypothermia
Sets in after 30 minutes
Stage 4: Post-Immersion collapse
Occurs during or after rescue

19. Cold Water Immersion (cont.)
Symptoms of Hypothermia
in order of severity:
Shivering, slurred speech, blurred vision
Bluish lips and fingernails
Loss of feeling in extremities
Cold, bluish skin
Confusion
Dizziness
Rigidity in extremities
Unconsciousness
Coma
Death

20. Cold Water Immersion (cont.)
Best defense against cold water immersion is to prevent vessel capsizing and falls overboard.
Wear layered clothing for insulation.

21. Cold Water Immersion (cont.)
If you fall into cold water:
Try to reboard boat or anything else floating.
Get as much of your body out of water as possible.
Help others.

22. Cold Water Immersion (cont.)
H.E.L.P.—Heat Escape Lessening Postures
If alone:
With others:

23. Cold Water Immersion (cont.)
Hypothermia
Prevention
Symptoms
Treatment
Avoid capsizing or falling overboard
Shivering, slurred speech, blurred vision
Get out of water
Wear layered clothing
Blue lips and fingernails
Put on dry clothes
Avoid bad weather
Loss of feeling in extremities
Drink warm, not hot, nonalcoholic liquids
Keep dry
Cold, bluish skin
Eat quick energy foods
Confusion, memory loss
Rewarm slowly
Dizziness, sleepiness
Seek medical attention
Rigidity in extremities
Unconsciousness
Coma
Death

24. Heat-Related Illnesses
Prevention
Heat Exhaustion
Heat Stroke
Dehydration
Heat Cramps
Drink water 
Avoid caffeine and alcohol
Drink fluids with electrolytes
Take breaks
Dress in layers
Avoid heat
Seek shade

25. Heat-Related Illnesses (cont.)
Symptoms
Heat Exhaustion
Heat Stroke
Dehydration
Heat Cramps
Pale, clammy skin 
Weakness
Nausea
Headache
Dry, hot, flushed skin
Dilated pupils
Rapid, weak pulse
Shallow breathing
High Temperature
Cramps, muscle spasm
Thirst, dry mouth
Sleepiness
Irritability
Dizziness

26. Heat-Related Illnesses (cont.)
Treatment
Heat Exhaustion
Heat Stroke
Dehydration
Heat Cramps
Drink water 
Cooler Place
Fan
Wrap in sheet
Soak in cool water
Get to hospital
Drink fluids with electrolytes
Rest in cool place
Stretch
Massage muscles
Seek medical attention if severe

27. Weather Emergencies
Tune a radio to weather updates.

28. Weather Emergencies Danger Signs: Dark clouds Graying skies
Distant thunder
Lightning
Rough water
Fog
Wind shifts
Weather from the west

29. Weather Emergencies (cont.)
If Severe Weather Strikes
Prepare the boat.
Keep up speed.
Secure gear.
Stay clear of metal objects.
In a kayak: close open hatches, start bilge pump, secure spray skirt.

30. Weather Emergencies (cont.)
Prepare yourself and others.
Make sure everyone is wearing a life jacket.
Have everyone stay low and close to centerline of boat.

31. Review Questions
What are the three rescue priorities in order of how you should do them?
Answer:
People
Boat
Gear

32. Review Questions (cont.)
What is the rescue technique where one boat pushes another boat to a swimmer?
Answer: bulldozing

33. Review Questions (cont.)
What is the primary danger that occurs immediately upon being immersed in cold water?
Answer: involuntary gasping, resulting in water inhalation and drowning

34. Review Questions (cont.)
What is the condition that occurs when cold water pulls heat from the body and the body’s core temperature drops?
Answer: hypothermia

35. Review Questions (cont.)
If you are trapped in cold water, you should assume the “HELP” position. What does “HELP” stand for?
Answer: Heat Escape Lessening Posture

36. Review Questions (cont.)
What condition is the opposite of hypothermia and occurs when the core body temperature increases, usually as a result of hot and humid conditions, plus a lack of water?
Answer: heat exhaustion

37. Review Questions (cont.)
To prevent dehydration while on the water, how often should you drink some water?
Answer: every 15 – 20 minutes

38. Review Questions (cont.)
If a thunderstorm approaches, should you head toward the nearest shore?
Answer: yes