What should you do if you fall overboard into cold water?

What should you do if you fall overboard into cold water?

• A. Swim to shore as quickly as possible
• B. Call for help only
• C. Try to reboard your boat, even if it is swamped
• D. Climb onto a floating object without attempting to reboard

Answer: (C)

When you fall into cold water, the priorities are to stay afloat, conserve energy, and get back to safety. Reboarding the boat, even if it’s swamped, is the best move because the boat still provides buoyancy and a platform for you to climb back onto, which helps you stay out of the water and out of the wind as you wait for rescue. This reduces heat loss and prevents rapid exhaustion that would come from swimming to shore in frigid water. If you can’t safely get back aboard, stay with the boat or a floating object and signal for help instead of drifting away, which keeps you connected to rescue efforts. The other options—swimming to shore or simply calling for help without attempting to reboard—tend to waste precious energy and increase the risk of hypothermia in cold water.

When you fall into cold water, the priorities are to stay afloat, conserve energy, and get back to safety. Reboarding the boat, even if it’s swamped, is the best move because the boat still provides buoyancy and a platform for you to climb back onto, which helps you stay out of the water and out of the wind as you wait for rescue. This reduces heat loss and prevents rapid exhaustion that would come from swimming to shore in frigid water.

If you can’t safely get back aboard, stay with the boat or a floating object and signal for help instead of drifting away, which keeps you connected to rescue efforts. The other options—swimming to shore or simply calling for help without attempting to reboard—tend to waste precious energy and increase the risk of hypothermia in cold water.