• Be prepared. Check the weather and water conditions before you venture out. Familiarise yourself with the local environment, be aware of the hazards and take heed of warning signs
• Know your limits
• Wear a lifejacket. Lifejackets increase the chance of survival when immersed in cold water. Lifejackets keep people afloat and help them retain heat until rescued. Ensure that lifejackets are worn by everyone on board a vessel, and that they are properly fitted and regularly serviced
• Avoid alcohol around water. Alcohol increases the chance of getting hypothermia. In cold situations, the body’s automatic response is to draw blood away from the limbs to the vital organs to prevent heat loss. Alcohol, however, prevents this normal defence mechanism and therefore increases the chance of hypothermia developing
• Never go alone. Always go with someone else and inform others of your destination and when you intend to return, particularly in remote locations

Survival techniques

The key to cold water survival is to conserve body heat. If you find yourself unexpectedly immersed in cold water, discard only heavy garments. Clothing, particularly protective clothing, will help prevent the loss of body heat. Ordinary clothing can reduce the cooling rate by 50%. It is important to retain head covering because a large proportion of heat is lost via the head.

Stay calm, rapid movement causes faster heat loss. Stay afloat on your back and hold any buoyant object if available.

Signal for help by raising one arm above the head with an open hand, shout for help and stay calm.

If you find yourself unexpectedly fall into cold water, take the following steps to delay the onset of hypothermia:

• Keep all movement to a minimum; any movement increases heat loss by 30%
• If you are alone and wearing a lifejacket use the Heat-Escape-Lessoning-Position (HELP) position to conserve your energy. In a small group, stay warm by huddling with others
• Get your body out of the water. Pull yourself up as high as possible onto a capsized vessel
• Keep your head dry, in all cases, avoid submerging under water. A large portion of body heat escapes from your head. Keeping your head dry will greatly impact your chances of survival