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SPECIAL SAFETY MESSAGES
Hypothermia
Hypothermia, the loss of body heat
to the water, is a significant cause of
deaths in boating accidents. After an
individual h as suc c um bed to h yp other-
mia, he or she will lose consciousness
and then drow n.
PFDs can increase survival time be-
cause of the insulation they provide.
Naturally, the warmer the water, the
less ins ulation one will require. When
operating in col d water (be low 4.4°C
(40°F)) c onsideration should be giv en
to using a coat or jacket style PFD as
they cover more of the body than the
vest style PFDs.
Som e points to rem ember a bout hy-
pothermia protectio n:
– While afloat in the water, do not at-
tempt to swim u nless it is to reach
a nearby boat, fellow survivor, or
a floating object on which you can
lean or climb. Unne ce ssary swim-
ming inc reases the rate of body heat
loss. In cold water, drown-proof
methods tha t require putting your
head in the water are not recom-
mended. Keep your head out of the
water. T his w ill grea tly lessen heat
loss and increase your survival time.
– Kee p a positive a ttitude about your
survival and rescue. This will im-
prove your chances of extending
your survival time until resc ue. Your
will to li ve does make a difference!
– If there is more tha n one person
in the water, huddling is recom-
mended while waiting to be res-
cued. This action tends to reduce
the rate of heat loss a nd thus in-
crease the survival time.
– Always wear your PFD. It wo n't hel p
you fight off the effec t s of hypother-
mia if you don't have it on when you
go into the water.
Safe Boating Courses
Many countries recomm end or requ ire
a boating safety course. Check w ith
your local compe tent authorities .
Check loc a l and federal boating laws
applicable to the waterways wh ere
youintendtouseyourwatercraft.
Learn the local rule s of the road. K now
and understand the applicable naviga-
tion system (such as buoys and signs).
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SAFETY INFORMATION
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