On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 05:06:59 -0000, Chuck Gould
wrote:

The shock of the cold water can also cause an
involuntary gasp reflex that can cause victims to inhale water and
drown

Know what this is called?

It's called the Mammalian Dive Reflex

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalian_diving_reflex

Dr. Murray Hamlet Cold Lab of the Army's Soldier Systems Center in
Natick, MA has a fascinating presentation about this whole
physiological function. The actuating nerve center is in the middle
of your forehead. Pretty cool huh?

He's a really interesting guy. I took a weekend cold water survival
course with him when I was a Dive Medic with the Regional Dive Team
about fifteen years ago.

On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 11:27:14 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 05:06:59 -0000, Chuck Gould
wrote:

The shock of the cold water can also cause an
involuntary gasp reflex that can cause victims to inhale water and
drown

Know what this is called?

It's called the Mammalian Dive Reflex


scientific american had an article on this about a decade ago...

On Jun 24, 8:04?am, wrote:
On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 11:27:14 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing

wrote:
On Sun, 24 Jun 2007 05:06:59 -0000, Chuck Gould
wrote:

The shock of the cold water can also cause an
involuntary gasp reflex that can cause victims to inhale water and
drown

Know what this is called?

It's called the Mammalian Dive Reflex

scientific american had an article on this about a decade ago...

I suspect if more people were consciously aware of this risk that
fewer folks would consider simply having a pfd somewhere that it could
be grabbed at the last minute before or immediately after going
overboard......(normally after, who "plans" to go
overboard?)...adequate.

That gasp of shock upon hitting the cold water could literally be a
last gasp.