Safety, Fire & Survival · Survival at Sea

The greatest threat to a person who has abandoned ship into cold water is usually:

Explanation

Cold water draws body heat away roughly 25 times faster than air, so hypothermia (and the initial cold-shock gasp reflex) is the leading killer in survival situations. Getting out of the water into a raft, or wearing an immersion suit, is critical to survival time.

Authority: STCW A-VI/1 Basic Training (personal survival)

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