For those who work on oil rigs, commercial fishing vessels, cargo ships and in other maritime settings, it’s important to understand the cold shock response. This is an involuntary reaction that someone’s body has when they unexpectedly enter cold water.
One of the key components of the cold shock response is a sudden gasp. It can also make a person’s chest feel tight, like they can’t breathe, and it may be difficult for them to move. Their muscles can tense up suddenly, and some people even describe it as a rather traumatic experience. If someone falls overboard while working, they may experience a cold shock response as soon as they hit the water.
Why this is a serious problem
This is an involuntary response, so there’s nothing people can do to avoid it, but it can also be very dangerous.
Because the person involuntarily gasps as they go underwater, they can sometimes inhale that water and begin choking. This just compounds their breathing issues, and they could start drowning almost immediately.
This is why many people experience dangerous events, even if they are technically strong swimmers. If they wade into a pool, they may be able to swim laps for an hour with no problem. But if they fall overboard while out at sea, they could drown very quickly due to the cold shock response interrupting their otherwise steady and controlled breathing.
Those who work at sea always face some level of risk from the ocean, and the cold shock response is just one component of that. When workers suffer injuries, they need to know how to seek proper compensation, and it may help to work with an experienced law firm at this time.