Niagara Falls Plunger

Plunging into the Ice
A man on Wednesday decided to jump into Niagara Falls and survived the 180 foot plunge. When trying to be rescued he resisted, and was in the water for up to 45 minutes. Although he was in and out consciousness at the time of rescue, he was still responsive to some verbal commands. There are horrible effects of hypothermia, anyone can become a victim within as short as 5 minutes. There are four different stages, early where the core temperature of someone is about 36 degrees Celsius. Mild, where core temperature is about 34 degrees or 35, Moderate from about 33 to 31 degrees Celsius and Severe is where the core temperature is anything less then 31 degrees. Treatment should be approached with knowledge and care. More damage than good can be the outcome with the wrong treatment. The best way to treat hypothermia is to not allow it to happen to begin with. Always remember gentle handling, insulation, no alcohol, coffee, tea, cocoa and gradual rewarming. Any method which will rewarm the person in a hurry will likely cause further complications or death. If it is difficult to distinguish the level of hypothermia through visible signs and symptoms, then assume severe hypothermia. Usually, if shivering has stopped, it indicates a more severe situation.
I am a certified lifeguard and I am very gualified to detect the different stages of hypothermia, although it is difficult at times, it is a great tool to understand. Not only do I know the stages, but I know how to deal with someone who is dealign with those stages. The water the man jumped into at Niagara Falls was near freezing, so spending 45 minutes in that had to be a severe case of hypothermia. The fact they think it might be a suicide attempt throws a curve ball into the story, the man didn't get what he necessarily wanted but atleast he is still alive, maybe this opened his eyes to new things around him as well.