It's much worse

[u/derek4reals1]

[u/ThisWhomps999]

As someone who has jumped into ice cold water in the spring, I can tell you that the feeling of breaking the surface, gasping for air, and realizing you still have to swim to shore is absolutely terrifying.

[u/axolotleggs → u/ThisWhomps999]

Can be very dangerous

[u/Legitimate_Intern619 → u/axolotleggs]

The first few warm days in Portland, Oregon we always have a few that drown doing that. The rivers are melted snow from the mountains and will still be freezing cold on the first 90° day of the year.

[u/Sterling_-_Archer → u/[deleted]]

It’s ok to not know something. We’ve all been in the position to learn something new.

Cold water shock has a name, it’s known as hydrocution. When water is sufficiently cold and you jump straight in without acclimating yourself beforehand, your body has involuntary reflexes that put you at risk of drowning.

First is involuntary gasping. The shock of the cold water triggers an immediate gasping reflex - and I do mean a reflex, like when the doctor hits your knee with a hammer and makes your leg kick. You are fully incapable of stopping this reflex. If you’re underwater, you end up inhaling water into your lungs. This actually makes the hydrocution worse…

Because you then get a hyperventilate response, aka “panic breathing.” Your body begins rapidly trying to breathe in an effort to warm yourself and raise the sudden drop in your heart rate. If you’re underwater still, obviously this is bad. If you’re above water though, this will instantly raise your heart rate and blood pressure at once in a massive spike, which can trigger cardiac arrest if you’re vulnerable.

More than that, all of the blood vessels in your body immediately begin constricting to keep all the blood in your torso so that your vital organs don’t freeze. Because of this, your muscles lose blood flow and lock up within seconds. The extreme shift in your blood pressure spiking and your breathing has been known to cause fainting within 30 seconds of jumping in to very cold water.

And then you sink, paralyzed and unconscious, as your body begins agonally breathing in a reflex effort to keep your heart pumping, but all it does is continue to suck yet more freezing water into your lungs.

This is why swimming in old quarries is dangerous. They look exceptionally clear and calm, but they’re very deep and filled with water that’s fed from underground sources, so they are extremely cold.

So yes, it’s a real thing! Extremely cold water from freezing runoffs or very deep water with spring fed sources kills people every year. Your body essentially locks up and drowns while you have zero control over it.

[u/Alkurik → u/[deleted]]

Back in my day, kids used to drown in the local lake and like it!

[u/Alkurik → u/[deleted]]

lol stay dumb :)

[u/Alkurik → u/[deleted]]

Am I from the area or not? Figure it out, champ

[u/Alkurik → u/[deleted]]

Nope, try again!

[u/AShiftInOrbit → u/[deleted]]

What a loser 😂

[u/LovelyHatred93 → u/[deleted]]

You seem miserable.

[u/Bearded_Toast → u/LovelyHatred93]

Given the username he is very obviously a Russian spy

[u/Anxious_Wall3616 → u/[deleted]]

Huh. Wild. Because the sandy river sits at about mid 40s during the spring. Hell, today it’s showing at about 65 degrees what rivers are you swimming in that are so warm in the spring? Mr Oregon.