As I write this, it is 48 degrees in the southern Adirondacks. Yet, the ice is off of the lakes, and I am already dreaming of a plunge into one of my favorite wilderness swim sites. Many folks are surprised to learn that drowning is the number one cause of wilderness fatalities. No, it is not the type of trauma or bizarre medical scenarios which form the bulk of the curriculum in many wilderness medicine courses today.
There is very little to add to “drowning” as a wilderness medicine topic than that which is already included in most CPR courses. A new column I just uploaded gives what I hope is some valuable preventive information.