Sudden Failure of Swimming in Cold Water

Abstract

Oral Calcium-loading Test-Barr and Forfar BRrrxSH exaggerated by known infant standards. In the other a response similar to that of the control infants was obtained, suggesting that calcium tolerance was now normal. Further studies of calcium tolerance in late cases of idiopathic hypercalcaemia would be of interest.We acknowledge the helpful co-operation of Professor S. G Brit. med. J., 1969, 1, 480-483 Summary: To investigate the effect of cold water on swimming four men who declared themselves good swimmers were immersed fully clothed on separate days in water at 23.70 and 4.70 C. The time that they were able to swim in the cold water was much shorter than in the warm. The two shortest swims ended after 1.5 and 7-6 minutes, before rectal temperature fell, when the men suddenly floundered after developing respiratory distress with breathing rates of 56-60/min. The other cold swims, by the two fattest men, ended less abruptly with signs of general and peripheral hypothermia.It is concluded that swimming in cold water was stopped partly by respiratory reflexes in the thin men and hypothermia in the fat, and partly by the cold water's high viscosity. The longer swimming times of the fat men are attributed largely to their greater buoyancy enabling them to keep their heads above water during the early hyperventilation.The findings explain some reports of sudden death in cold water. It is clearly highly dangerous to attempt to swim short distances to shore without a life-jacket in water near O C.

Body temperatures during three long-distance polar swims in water of 0–3°C

“…In terms of the distance swum, these performances exceed by a factor of about four those predicted for unacclimatized subjects exposed to similarly cold water when fully clothed and wearing a life jacket (Keatinge et al, 1969). This swimmer's unusual ability appears to be due to at least three factors.…”

Swimming - Trigerred Acute Cardiovascular Complications in Elders

“…Reasons for sudden death due to swimming could be different, but an important reason is swimming in cold water [14], what could be present even in a summer. The consequence could be hypothermia, general vasoconstriction, partly by the cold water ' s high viscosity, and worsening of preexistent cardiovascular disease leading to malignant ventricular arrhythmia.…”

Wasserrettung

“…In diesen Fällen unterbleibt der "Kampf ums Überleben"; eine einsetzende Bewusstseinstrübung gipfelt im Ertrinken [6,15].…”