Missing Florida Fishermen

Being a fisherman, and a damn good one if I do say so myself, I have been watching the story out of Florida about the 3 missing football players. I was also USN Special Ops so stories of drowning, boats sinking, or people dying from hypothermia are dear to me. I have spent a lot more time in the water than most dolphins so on issues dealing with survival, especially in the ocean, I consider myself an expert.

The 4 men were fishing when their anchored boat capsized in rough water. One man, Nick Schuyler, was rescued sitting on the overturned boat clinging to the motor. Schuyler informed coast guard officials all the men had on life vest when the boat flipped. But two to four hours after the boat capsized, one of the NFL players removed his life jacket and let himself be swept out to sea, the St. Petersburg Times reported. A few hours later, the other one followed suit. This is a common sign of stage 3 hypothermia. A condition caused when the body temperature drops.

There are 3 stages of hypothermia:

Stage 1: Body temperature drops 2-4 degrees (95-98.6°F). Mild to strong shivering occurs. The person is unable to complete complex task with their hands like tying your shoes. Your hands will become numb. Blood vessels in the outer extremities constrict, lessening heat loss to the outside air. Breathing becomes quick and shallow. The person may have trouble seeing.

Stage 2: Body temperature drops 4-8 degrees (91-94.8°F). Shivering becomes more violent. Muscle mis-coordination becomes apparent and the person will almost appear drunk. Movements are slow and labored, accompanied by a stumbling pace and mild confusion, although the victim may appear alert. The body focuses primarily on keeping the vital organs warm. The person becomes pale. Lips, ears, fingers and toes may become blue.

Stage 3: Body temperature drops below 89.6°F. Shivering usually stops. It becomes very difficult for the person to speak, thinking becomes sluggish, and amnesia start to appear. The person is unable to us hands and stumbling would be present in persons on land. Cellular metabolic processes shut down. Below 86°F the exposed skin becomes blue and puffy, muscle coordination becomes very poor, walking becomes almost impossible, and the victim exhibits incoherent/irrational behavior. Pulse and respiration rates decrease significantly, but fast heart rates can occur. Major organs fail. Clinical death occurs. Because of decreased cellular activity in stage 3 hypothermia, the body will actually take longer to undergo brain death.

The following morning Will Bleakley, obviously suffering with severe stage 3 hypothermia as well, thought he observed a light in the distance, took off his life vest and swam toward the light.

The rescued man, Nick Schuyler, was in the 60°F water for 46 hours before he was rescued. He is very lucky to be alive. Were Schuyler not in superb physical and mental condition he would not have survived the ordeal.

The treating physician, Dr. Mark Rumbak said: "This guy is very tough mentally. ... If he didn't have that type of background, I don't think he would have made it." "Still, I do think it's a miracle."

Please pray for these families and Mr. Schuyler. He is lucky to survive but he had to watch his friends be swept away, something he will relive everyday in his mind, trust me.