Cold Water Endangers Hunters, Anglers

Water does not have to be Christmas time cold to kill, it only has to be colder than you are to cause potentially fatal hypothermia. But waters are cold now while waterfowl hunters are enjoying the last few weeks of their season and anglers are still catching fish in the hottest steelhead season in years. "Overloading and not wearing life jackets are leading reasons Idaho typically loses a couple of waterfowl hunters every year," said Ann Van Buren, boating education specialist with the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR). "The larger reason of course, is the icy temperatures that prevail, especially the cold water," she said. "Cold water zaps your energy as it wicks the heat from your body 25 times faster than the air would at that same temperature." If you fall in, you only have a few minutes before the cold can render you numb and unable to swim. Most boats float even when capsized or swamped, so get in or on the boat to get as far out of the water as possible. Wearing a life vest is a must. It will help preserve body heat and keep you afloat even if you are unconscious. Foam life jackets can be worn under clothing, but the new inflatable styles should be worn on the outside of the clothing," Van Buren said. Get to shelter, change into dry clothing and warm up slowly. Here are the most important tips to remember when using open boats during the cold months:

• Life jackets do not work unless you wear them at the time you fall in. More than 70 percent of Idaho drowning victims could have survived if they had worn theirs. Idaho law requires a life jacket on board for every passenger, and a throw-able (type IV) personal floatation device is required in boats over 16 feet long. While Idaho boaters are not required to wear their jackets, it is very strongly recommended. Many companies now make camouflage life jackets and float coats that can be worn while duck hunting that do not flare birds and are reasonably comfortable to shoot in. Such an item would be an excellent Christmas gift for someone on your list who enjoys duck hunting!
• Stay within the load limits shown on your boat's capacity plate. All vessels under 20 feet in length and constructed after November 1, 1972, must have a capacity plate permanently affixed to a location clearly visible to the operator while the boat is underway. The plate lists (among other things) maximum allowed horsepower, maximum number of persons, and maximum weight capacity in persons and equipment. If your craft does not have a capacity plate, use this formula: boat length times width divided by 15 gives you the number of passengers who weigh about 150 lbs. Distribute the load evenly and keep it low.
• In a canoe, each person should paddle on the opposite side at all times to maintain balance.
• Stay seated. Standing to shoot is not worth the risk of parting company with your boat. Sitting on the sides can also capsize the boat
• If you capsize on a large lake, it is better to sit on top of the boat than to swim more than 100 feet with a life jacket, or 50 feet without a life jacket. By swimming or treading water, a person will cool 35 percent faster than if remaining still.
• Do not swim unless there is absolutely no chance of rescue and you are absolutely certain. Be sure to cover your head after getting wet, because 50 percent of the heat is lost there.
• Leave the booze at home. Alcohol makes you more susceptible to hypothermia, interferes with your ability to swim and impedes your ability to make quick decisions in an accident.
• Do not be afraid to cancel the trip once you get to the water and bad weather has set in.