![]() Look for local Facebook groups, websites and signs for information. Find out about tides, water quality and local laws. ![]() PICK YOUR SPOT: Outdoor swimming coach and open-water lifeguard Rowan Clarke says: “Pick a safe spot where lots of people swim. If they’re not breathing, open the airway and give five initial rescue breaths before starting CPR.” Visit St John Ambulance for advice on starting CPR at. Ask someone to call 999 for medical help. Once someone has been rescued, you need to check if they’re breathing. The NHS says: “If someone is in difficulty, don’t enter the water unless it’s safe to do so. Sugar can increase body temperature slightly, so biscuits might help.ĭROWNING: In worst case scenarios, this is a possibility. Stand on a towel as you change, put layers on and get a warm drink. It’s something even experienced swimmers can get and can carry on for as long as 40 minutes. This isn’t an issue if you got out feeling fine but if you got out feeling cold and showing slight hypothermia symptoms, they’ll soon get worse thanks to the “after drop”. They’re most common in the legs and feet, so enter the water slowly and acclimatise before you start to swim.ĪFTER DROP: Even when you get out of the water, your body continues getting colder for around 20 minutes. Being incapacitated and in pain in water can render even the most competent swimmer helpless. Anything past the first two stages of hypothermia can be fatal, so seek medical help if you’re unsure.ĬRAMPS: These can occur in cold water as your body hasn’t had time to warm up and muscles contract when cold. ![]() Get a warm drink, get out of wet clothes, put a blanket on. If you suspect hypothermia - when core body temperature drops below 36C - get out straight away and warm from the core of the body, slowly. ![]() Symptoms can include confusion, sleepiness, fumbling hands, shivering and not shivering, and slow reactions. ![]() HYPOTHERMIA: There are five stages of hypothermia, from mild to irreversible, but as a general rule of thumb I’d say when you don’t feel cold any more, it’s time to get out. ![]()
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