(www.MaritimeCyprus.com) With possibly less than 15 minutes to rescue somebody immersed in cold water before they become unresponsive, time is of the essence to save life. Understanding how the body reacts when you enter cold water and what you can do to delay its damaging effects can increase your chance of survival until help arrives. Seconds can save a life When seafarers hear three prolonged blasts on the vessel’s horn followed by call outs for “Man Overboard!" they immediately know that an emergency has occurred. A crew member or other person has accidentally fallen from the vessel into the sea, or the vessel could be responding to someone else's emergency, and a quick response is essential. Analysis conducted by the UK Maritime Accident Investigation Branch ( MAIB ) has revealed that crew have, on average, less than 11 minutes to recover someone who has fallen overboard into cold water before they become unresponsive. Its analysis of 20 incidents that occurred between 2017 and 2021 shows that the time decreases as the water becomes colder or the sea state rougher. In some cases, crew had just 4 or 5 minutes to coordinate a complex recovery under extreme pressure. Guide to cold water survival Dangers related to man overboard and abandon vessel situations are normally included in emergency preparedness plans and procedures, both for vessels and offshore installations. And dedicated emergency training and drills focus on these types of accidents. However, it is also important to continuously remind each crew member, as part of their training, what to do if they accidentally fall into the water or have to enter the water in an emergency. Individuals with an understanding of how the body reacts to exposure to cold air or water, and who know how to delay the damaging effects of cold stress on the body, will have a much better chance of staying alive. With an increasing number of maritime and offshore-related activities taking place in and near the Arctic and Souther