cold water shock
Sudden plunge response
Cold water shock is the body's involuntary response to sudden immersion in cold water—typically below 15°C (59°F).
The shock triggers gasping, hyperventilation, and rapid heart rate, which can cause drowning or cardiac arrest within minutes.
It's a leading cause of death in accidental water immersions, especially when victims fall in unexpectedly: He survived the capsizing but nearly drowned from cold water shock.
- body temperatureInternal heat level
- gaspSudden sharp breath
- plungeSudden steep descent
- icyFrozen or unfriendly
- drowningDeath by water inhalation
breath · heart · panic · fight or flight · immersion · ice bath · freezing · reflex · swimming · lake · ocean · winter · survival · hyperventilation · cardiac · shiver · dive · polar
- Cold Sensationschill, chills, shiver, shivers, shivering
- outdoor hazardsbears, heatstroke, snakes, blisters, sunburn
- water safetylifeguards, CPR, rescue tube, life jacket, drowning prevention
- water emergenciesdrowning, near drowning, near-drowning, ocean rescue, sea rescue
- water hazardsflash flood, river flood, coastal flooding, flooding, tsunami
- swimmingswimming, swimmer, swimmers, swim team, swim teams
cold water shockheat stroke
Overheating-caused medical crisis
hyperthermia · heat exhaustion · thermal burn · hot flash · heat cramps
cold, colder, coldest, coldly, coldness, water, waters, watery, watered