ENJOYING THE OUTDOORS: THE BIG CHILL CAN BE DEADLY

Having dunked myself in river and lake water in winter months, I can attest that the experience is much more than refreshing.

When a body with a temperature of some 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit abruptly is introduced into liquid that is perhaps 50 or 60 degrees cooler, the difference will curl your eyelashes. The sensation makes you whoop loudly and say things your grandmother would not imagine are even in your vocabulary.

More than being good for a hearty chuckle from your companions, however, a frigid baptism is an excellent introduction toward becoming stone dead. Cold water is much more than an inducer of sudden discomfort. Without pretty quick relief, its potential as a killer is very real as numerous late outdoorsmen would attest if they only could give witness from the grave.

Hypothermia becomes an ever-present threat this time of year, particularly with the onslaught of waterfowl hunting season when more sportsmen are taking to the rivers and lakes amid harsh weather and cruel water temperatures.

The lowering of body temperature: That's all there is to hypothermia. It works just fine on fish, but it doesn't suit warm-blooded humans. One gets into serious trouble with a drop of just a few degrees, a change that comes when body heat is lost at a rate quicker than it can be manufactured internally.

If the body temperature falls only a couple of degrees, that's already phase one of hypothermia. The condition is marked with intense shivering and an increasing level of difficulty in performing simple tasks. As fingers and hands rapidly go numb, one can find it almost impossible to muster the dexterity necessary to help oneself.

If the body temperature falls to the range of 91-95 degrees, call it phase two of hypothermia and expect further loss of function. Shivering grows violent and the victim begins to have difficulty in even speaking. An indication that bad trouble is afoot is that the skin tone goes pale -- like that of a cadaver, which the victim has a fair chance to become.

Phase three of hypothermia kicks in as the body temperature falls to the range of 86-90 degrees. Shivering (which is the body's attempt to generate heat more quickly) stops and the muscles become rigid. This hastens the loss of heat. Simultaneously, thinking becomes muddled and irrational. As the brain loses operating heat, it's more likely that the victim won't be able to muster the good sense to do what's necessary to save himself.

The victim's pulse begins to slow down in phase four, the stage in which the body temperature falls to the range of 81-85 degrees. Mental abilities drop further at this point; the victim maybe even falling into a helpless stupor. If he's able to think at all, chances are it will be irrational thinking.

Without immediate relief, the body sags into phase five of hypothermia, that marked by unconsciousness. Conking out comes with a body temperature of from about 78 to 80 degrees. If it slips below 78, it most likely becomes the big sleep. Even with someone providing aid at this point, the cool-carcassed victim probably is going to die. When the internal fire burns low enough, the spark goes out.

The process of this thermal doom, of course, can be accelerated by being wet. Air conducts heat away from the body quickly enough, but moisture sucks the warmth out lickety-split.

In cold water, a human's time is short. In water of 40 to 50 degrees, unconsciousness can come within a half-hour or so. And you know what comes after that. As water temperatures dip toward the freezing mark, reduce the period to unconsciousness to only 15 minutes or thereabouts.

Things aren't a great deal cozier if one gets a soaking, but stays out of the water. Something as simple as unanticipated rainfall can bring about this development. With wet clothing, the moisture pumps heat rapidly away from the body. When the air temperature is a comparatively mild 50 degrees, an outdoors enthusiast in soggy clothing nevertheless can drift into hypothermia in short order. Any wind can speed the impending demise.

The moral of all this is not to play things too loosely out there. There can be a fine line between calm and calamity. When winter activities -- hunting, fishing or whatever -- put you on and around the water, be particularly careful.

Avoid solo outings where help would be unavailable if a minor mishap could evolve into a life-threatening ordeal. Wear carefully chosen clothing, including raingear, when weather and water offer the potential of a dampening. Synthetics and wool are better choices for attire than quick-chilling cotton when moisture is a factor. Spare clothing and a fool-proof means for emergency fire-building are worthwhile precautions.

Use sound judgment when conditions such as rough water increase the potential of swamping or stranding. It could prove much greater than an inconvenience. Sidestep those circumstances which would put you beyond the reach of help if you should desperately need it.

Everything can be lovely and secure when you're dry and warm, but a quirk of fate can change the whole deal by suddenly leaving one wet and cold.

To chill out, after all, isn't necessarily a healthy undertaking.

~Steve Vantreese is outdoors editor of The Paducah Sun.