What to Do If You Fall Into Cold Water

If you fall into cold water, your first job is to keep your head above water and get your breathing back under control; don't try to swim hard right away. Then get out, or get as much of your body as you can onto something that floats, and if you can't get out, keep still in the H.E.L.P. or huddle position and wait for rescue.

Most cold-water falls are surprises: a slip from a dock, a capsized kayak, a wave on a jetty. Knowing these steps before it happens gives you a plan when your body is panicking.

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First minutes: keep your head up and breathe

The moment you hit cold water, your body takes over. The National Weather Service (NWS) says cold water can trigger involuntary gasping, rapid breathing or hyperventilating (opens in a new tab), during the first 2-3 minutes or more (opens in a new tab). If you breathe in water during that gasp, you can drown.

What to do:

• Keep your face out of the water. Hold on to anything that floats.
• Focus on breathing. The Canadian Safe Boating Council says that during cold shock you should concentrate on avoiding panic and getting control of your breathing (opens in a new tab).
• Don't swim hard yet. The National Center for Cold Water Safety (NCCWS) says that while hyperventilating, swimming as short a distance as 6-10 feet is often impossible, even for good swimmers (opens in a new tab).

Be ready for it to feel overwhelming. NCCWS notes that these responses are completely involuntary (opens in a new tab), so "don't panic" is easier said than done. Your goal is only to keep your airway clear until your breathing slows.

In rough water, NCCWS says the safest floating position is with your back facing the waves (opens in a new tab), because breathing is easier and waves hit you from behind.

Next: get out, or get onto something

Once your breathing is under control, act. Your strength is already fading. NCCWS says that in very cold water, it's possible to lose the use of your hands in under a minute (opens in a new tab).

The U.S. Coast Guard guidance shared by NWS says:

• Minimize time in the water. Get out as soon as possible safely. (opens in a new tab)
• If possible, use any floating objects to get out of the water. (opens in a new tab) A capsized boat, a cooler or a paddleboard all help.
• Keep as much of your body out of the water as possible. (opens in a new tab)
• If you can swim to safety, stay calm and do so. (opens in a new tab)
• If you cannot swim to safety, conserve energy and heat and await rescue. (opens in a new tab)

Swimming uses up the energy and heat you're trying to save. If the shore or the boat is far away, staying put with a life jacket on and waiting for rescue may be the better choice.

If you can't get out: the H.E.L.P. and huddle positions

H.E.L.P. (Heat Escape Lessening Position). NWS, sharing Coast Guard guidance, says this position protects the critical body areas and slows down the loss of heat (opens in a new tab):

• Draw your knees to your chin and keep your legs together. (opens in a new tab)
• Press both arms against your side and keep your head out of the water. (opens in a new tab)

Huddle. With two or more people in the water, form a huddle with the others to conserve body heat (opens in a new tab). Face each other and hold on.

Both positions depend on a life jacket. Without one, you have to keep moving to stay afloat.

Why a life jacket changes everything

NWS says wearing a life jacket significantly increases chances of survival (opens in a new tab). NCCWS explains that a life jacket greatly reduces the chance that you will immediately drown due to cold shock (opens in a new tab), lets you rest and float in calm water without swimming (opens in a new tab), and keeps you on the surface if you become exhausted or weakened by cold (opens in a new tab).

The catch is that you have to be wearing it already. NCCWS says most people find it very difficult or impossible to put on their PFD after they wind up in the water (opens in a new tab). And the people who fall in usually didn't plan to. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official said of the people who drown on its lakes: many never intended to be in the water (opens in a new tab).

For choosing and fitting one, see how to choose the right life jacket. For falls from boats, see what to do if you fall off a boat.

Call for help

Before a cold-water trip, NWS suggests you carry an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB), a personal locator beacon (PLB) or a VHF radio (opens in a new tab), and file a float plan with someone you trust (opens in a new tab). In the water, shout and wave to anyone nearby, and use a whistle if your life jacket has one.

Once you're out of the water

Getting out isn't the end of the danger. NWS says after escaping from cold water, get into a warm, dry, protected environment as quickly as possible (opens in a new tab), because a victim's core temperature can continue to drop to dangerous levels (opens in a new tab) even after leaving the water.

• Call 911.
• Get somewhere warm and out of the wind.
• Remove wet clothing and get dry, then warm up slowly.
• Watch for signs of hypothermia. CDC lists shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness (opens in a new tab) in adults.

The full steps are in hypothermia after cold water. For a fall through ice, the steps are different: see what to do if you fall through ice.

What you can do today

• Read the steps above out loud with your family, so everyone knows them.
• Practice the H.E.L.P. position in a pool or calm water with a life jacket on.
• Make wearing a life jacket the rule on every boat, kayak and paddleboard, all the time.
• Before your next trip on cold water, tell someone your plan and when you'll be back.
• Learn why cold water shock drowns strong swimmers.