Know Lake Tahoe before you jump in: The facts of Cold Water Shock

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nev. - Cold Water Shock is something every person going to Lake Tahoe to swim or boat should know, and understand. Each year there are people who die in Lake Tahoe because of Cold Water Shock so we are republishing this story from 2016 with some updates, one of many stories we've carried about this very important topic over the years.

The most common misunderstanding about swimming in Lake Tahoe is that people can suffer from hypothermia, which leads to death. The real truth is that "cold water shock" will kill much quicker than hypothermia ever will.

"The sudden lowering of skin temperature on immersion in cold water represents one of the most profound stimuli that the body can encounter." Golden and Tipton in Essentials of Sea Survival

Many agencies around the lake have increased their educational campaign for boaters and swimmers to understand the dangers of cold water at Lake Tahoe, and the Tahoe Fund has created not only a campaign but a series of clever posters that can be printed and distributed off their website.

It is important for those on, and in, the lake to understand the phrase "1-10-1." This refers to the three critical phases of cold water immersion.

1 - Cold Shock. An initial deep and sudden Gasp followed by hyperventilation that can be as much as 600-1000% greater than normal breathing. You must keep your airway clear or run the risk of drowning. Cold Shock will pass in about 1 minute. During that time concentrate on avoiding panic and getting control of your breathing. Wearing a lifejacket during this phase is critically important to keep you afloat and breathing.

10 - Cold Incapacitation. Over approximately the next 10 minutes you will lose the effective use of your fingers, arms, and legs for any meaningful movement. Concentrate on self-rescue initially, and if that isn’t possible, prepare to have a way to keep your airway clear to wait for rescue. Swim failure will occur within these critical minutes and if you are in the water without a lifejacket, drowning will likely occur.

1 - Hypothermia. Even in ice water, it could take approximately 1 hour before becoming unconscious due to Hypothermia. If you understand the aspects of hypothermia, techniques of how to delay it, self-rescue and calling for help, your chances of survival and rescue will be dramatically increased.

Most of the people who die in Lake Tahoe die during the first minute, mainly due to not wearing a life jacket and going underwater from shock.

"Swimming ability has nothing to do with cold water shock," said Park Ranger Jay Howard of Nevada State Parks at Sand Harbor.

The top 12 inches of the lake are normally okay to swim in due to this layer warming with the sun. Normally the water will be 68-70 degrees by August. It is the layers that rest below this foot where people run into problems when in the lake. The next foot will be a constant 56 degrees, down to 45 degrees a few hundred feet down.

"Six feet down is a whole different ball game," said Howard

"Our primary responsibility is to make sure everybody goes home safe," said Douglas County Sheriff's Office Deputy Ron Skibinski, who was on the County's Marine 7 during a 2016 ride-along. He and his partner Deputy Rob Buonamici focused on personal floatation devices (PFD) and made sure everyone on the water had one either on their person, on their paddle board, or in their boat. He reiterated Howard's comment, and that Cold Water Shock affects all people, no matter how healthy or strong they are.

An example of this was when University of Nevada Reno football player, 20-year-old Marc Ma, drowned after coming off of his paddle board. Growing up in Hawaii, Ma was a strong swimmer and surfer, but unaccustomed to cold water.

Ma was not wearing a life jacket, nor was 21-year-old Jawahar Kaliyamurthy whose body was found near a jet ski after a 2016 incident.

Life jackets will save lives on Lake Tahoe, and if Cold Water Shock is the issue, they can be the only thing and don't save lives if sitting on the paddleboard or kayak.

Most law enforcement on the water will say the same thing, "I never pulled a deceased person out of the lake with a life jacket on."

Deputies on the lake issue citations all day long for people not wearing or carrying a PFD onboard. Citation amounts range from $90 to over $300, depending on the county one is in when stopped.

"We have no tolerance up here," said Skibinski.

Most of the time, law enforcement on the lake gives safety briefings to those enjoying the lake. They make sure people on boats know the rules and have the proper equipment. Most of the concessions around the lake give a safety talk before renting water equipment as well.

For those without life jackets, Sand Harbor has a PFD lending station on the boat ramp, and those working the law enforcement boats carry a supply to give to people on the lake. South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue lends out life jackets from their fire stations.

"They have no idea what it feels like when they jump in the lake," said Edwin Lyngar, the Nevada Department of Wildlife Water Educator in 2016. "Life jackets are always the answer."

Lyngar said people going into the water need to do so feet first. Diving in is a "totally different ball game," he said.

When a swimmer's head goes under cold water they will have an involuntary gasp. The gasp brings water into the lungs. More chances of survival when that first gasp is above water, the reason for going in feet first.

Lyngar's job is to inform the public about the dangers of Cold Water Shock, and how the beliefs that hypothermia kills people in Tahoe have shifted to understanding the danger of Cold Water Shock.

"Take your time getting used to the water. It's perfectly safe. You've just got to be aware of what can happen," Howard said. "Cold water shock is the first minute and we've all experienced that where we jumped in and we feel the cold water and we take that involuntary gasp."

Most of the drownings on Lake Tahoe happen in minutes or even seconds. The best way for boaters, paddlers and swimmers to stay safe is to always wear a life jacket. Even if a boater or paddler does not expect to enter the water, they should prepare for the unexpected.

Some tips to stay safe on Lake Tahoe include:

- Never swim alone.
- Tell a friend or file a "float plan" before boating, swimming or paddling.
- Check the weather for wind conditions http://www.weather.gov/ before going out.
- Know your swimming limitations and always wear a life jacket when boating.
- Never operate a boat under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
- Never jump into cold water and always prepare for accidental immersion.

Keeping people safe at Lake Tahoe is a multiple agency task including South Lake Tahoe Police, El Dorado County Sheriff, Douglas County Sheriff, Placer County Sheriff, Washoe County Sheriff, Nevada State Parks, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary, and TRPA. They all have boats on the lake to educate, monitor, and enforce.

Facts about Cold Water Shock from the Tahoe Fund:

The first stage of cold water shock can last up to three minutes.
Cold water shock is most prevalent in water temperatures below 59 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it can occur in any temperature.
Within 15 minutes in cold water, blood flow decreases to the extremities in an effort to preserve heat at the core. You will lose movement of legs and arms and will be unable to stay afloat unless you are wearing a life vest.
Breathing rates can increase by 10 times during cold water shock.
55 percent of all open water drownings occur within 10 feet of safe refuge.
66 percent of people who drown in cold water are regarded as strong swimmers.