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PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NEWPORT/MOREHEAD CITY NC
439 AM EDT WED MAY 22 2013

...HYPOTHERMIA...

THE FOLLOWING IS A SAFE BOATING MESSAGE FROM THE NATIONAL SAFE
BOATING COUNCIL AND THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FOR THIS YEAR`S
NATIONAL SAFE BOATING WEEK.

THOSE VENTURING OUT NEED TO BE AWARE OF THE DANGERS POSED BY LOW
WATER TEMPERATURES. ON WARM DAYS...IT IS EASY TO OVERLOOK THE FACT
THAT WATER TEMPERATURE MAY BE MUCH LOWER THAN THE AIR TEMPERATURE.

IMMERSION IN COLD WATER CAN RAPIDLY BECOME LIFE THREATENING.
SHOULD YOUR CRAFT CAPSIZE...OR YOU FALL IN A SWIFT RIVER...
HYPOTHERMIA IN WATER WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE UPPER 30S AND 40S
CAN OCCUR IN JUST A MATTER OF MINUTES. IN FACT...THE HUMAN BODY
CANNOT SURVIVE IN WATER TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S AND 60S FOR VERY
LONG AS WATER CONDUCTS BODY HEAT AWAY 26 TIMES FASTER THAN AIR OF
THE SAME TEMPERATURE. THE COLD WATER RAPIDLY CAUSES EXTREMITIES TO
BECOME NUMB...WEAKENING THE ABILITY OF MUSCLES TO WORK EFFECTIVELY.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE URGES THE FOLLOWING SAFETY MEASURES
TO PROTECT YOURSELF AND MAXIMIZE YOUR ENJOYMENT OF OUR NATION`S
WATERWAYS:

CONSIDER POSTPONING SMALL CRAFT BOATING ACTIVITIES UNTIL WATER
TEMPERATURES BECOME WARMER IN LATE SPRING AND SUMMER. KEEP IN MIND
THAT EVEN UNSEASONABLY WARM AIR TEMPERATURES ON MILD SPRING AND
FALL AFTERNOONS CAN DROP RAPIDLY LATER IN THE DAY.

WHEN YOU DO BOAT...CANOE...OR KAYAK; WEAR APPROPRIATE PROTECTIVE
GEAR AND CLOTHING IN THE EVENT OF EXPOSURE...ACCIDENT OR CAPSIZE.
REMEMBER...NO MATTER THE SEASON...WHEN YOU ARE ON THE WATER ALWAYS
WEAR A LIFE JACKET.

ALWAYS FILE A FLOAT PLAN...LETTING A CLOSE FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND
KNOW YOUR PLANS...YOUR BOATS COMMUNICATION CAPABILITY...AND THE
PHYSICAL DETAILS OF YOUR CRAFT...ALL OF WHICH WILL ASSIST RESCUE
PERSONNEL IN THE EVENT YOU GET INTO TROUBLE.

SAFE BOATING IS NO ACCIDENT! PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO THINK SAFETY
FIRST AND PLAN APPROPRIATELY FOR WEATHER AND WATER CONDITIONS
BEFORE HEADING OUT ON OUR OCEANS...LAKES...RIVERS...AND STREAMS.

THIS MESSAGE WAS BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
AND THE NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL. VISIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE ON THE WEB AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV AND THE NATIONAL SAFE
BOATING COUNCIL AT WWW.SAFEBOATINGCOUNCIL.ORG.

$$