SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/boat-cpr-cold-water

A person pulled from cold water shows no signs of life after a long time under. What should you do?

Start CPR right away and get them to a hospital.

  1. Wait to see if they wake up
  2. Rub their arms and legs hard
  3. Start CPR right away and get them to a hospital ✔

Why: The Coast Guard notes many documented cases of people revived with no apparent harm after long immersions, especially in cold water. Never assume it is too late.

Huh, didn't know that: The CDC says your CPR skills could save someone's life in the time it takes paramedics to arrive.

The dad joke
What did the Band-Aid say to the scrape? Stick with me and you'll be fine.
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Sources

  1. USCG, A Boater's Guide to the Federal Requirements for Recreational Boats (2023) https://www.uscgboating.org/assets/1/AssetManager/Boaters-Guide-to-Federal-Requirements-for-Receational-Boats-20231108.pdf
  2. CDC, Preventing Drowning https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/prevention/index.html

Test yourself in the game

Boating & WaterHypothermia is medically defined as a core body temperature below what?Boating & WaterWhen pulling a long-immersed cold water victim into a small boat, what position is safest for them?Boating & WaterBelow what water temperature does the national boating education standard treat water as 'cold water'?

That's stuff everyone should know.