March 18, 2009

Recollections of Freezing to Death

A 1997 Outside article on facing death by hypothermia by Peter Stark.

But for all scientists and statisticians now know of freezing and its physiology, no one can yet predict exactly how quickly and in whom hypothermia will strike--and whether it will kill when it does. The cold remains a mystery, more prone to fell men than women, more lethal to the thin and well muscled than to those with avoirdupois, and least forgiving to the arrogant and the unaware.

Cherry stuff. I had heard about the English moor-walkers when I was a kid, and I never forgot that story.

(Via Maggie's Farm.)

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

According to one report (caution - some NSFW language), death by hypothermia is quite common in India, despite the country's mostly tropical or subtropical climate. Tens of millions of people sleep on sidewalks or elsewhere in the open air, lacking in any warm clothing, and on occasion the temperature can get cold enough to pose a threat.

Peter

Anonymous said...

Don't know if it's true or not, but I remember being told that in the final stages of hypo, one gets a sensation of heat and warmth and people occasionally shed their clothes because of this.

Anonymous said...

ps--may go shooting next week--weather permitting. will let you know; please don't tell the valley black helo legions.