| We compared the effectiveness of "wait for rescue" with "swim for it" survival strategies during accidental immersion in cold water. Novice (NOV, n = 7) and expert (EXP, n = 8) swimmers participated in three, order-randomized trials in a flume filled with 10°C water. Subjects wore light clothing and life jackets. In PC, subjects floated to allow Passive Cooling. During FS, subjects performed Free Swimming until exhaustion, then passive cooling. FSA was identical to FS except that there was Added insulation. Trials ended when rectal temperature fell to 34°C. The armbands in FSA conferred no functional advantage. Compared to PC, FS showed a 15% greater rate of heat loss, a 17% faster rate of core cooling, and a 23% reduction (14 min) in functional time. However, these thermal disadvantages were outweighed by the swimming distances achieved by both NOV (806.5 +/- 189.1 m) and EXP (1438.9 +/- 176.9 m). |
