Whilst competing in the Vendée Globe race, the Southern Ocean's severe weather broke the keel off Tony Bullimore's yacht Exide Challenger, causing the top heavy craft to flip upside-down and leaving him trapped inside the cabin in several feet of ice cold water. Utterly helpless and amidst a roaring hurricane, Bullimore remained this way for four days before eventually being rescued by the Royal Australian Air Force.
After the event, Bullimore was upbeat, saying he survived on 'a little chocolate, water and sheer determination.' In fact, the only reason Bullimore was able to survive the extreme conditions was because he was wearing a heavily insulated survival suit. Without it, hypothermia could have killed him in as little as 15 minutes.
Hypothermia occurs when the body's core temperature drops below 35°C. The human body is no longer able to maintain its operating temperature in the environment. It normally comes on gradually but in water the body loses heat about 30 times faster than in air. When the core temperature drops below 32°C it becomes difficult to remain conscious, which of course increases the danger.
The first symptom of hypothermia is violent shivering: the body's natural attempt to generate heat by contracting muscles. But as the core temperature drops below 32°C, the body loses its ability to shiver and the 'umbles' set in – stumbles, mumbles, fumbles and grumbles. These indicate a change in muscle control and levels of consciousness caused by hypothermia. Slurred speech, loss of coordination and confusion create the impression that the person is drunk. The ability of the lungs to contract is reduced, which in turn restricts oxygen intake. The heart rate becomes erratic until eventually fibrillation occurs, resulting in cardiac arrest.
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