Essential guidance
Cold injury can occur after immersion, rain or prolonged exposure, not just during freezing weather. Confusion or unusual drowsiness after exposure is an emergency warning sign.
Urgent situations
Call your local emergency service immediately for life-threatening danger. Follow professional responders and current local alerts over general online instructions.
Recognize the danger
Signs of hypothermia include intense or diminishing shivering, exhaustion, fumbling hands, confusion, slurred speech and drowsiness. A severely affected person may be unresponsive.
Frostbite may cause pale, waxy or numb skin; protect affected areas from further cold and seek professional care. Do not rub frozen skin.
Move to a safer environment
Call emergency medical help promptly for suspected hypothermia. Move to shelter when it can be done safely, insulate the person from ground and wind, and carefully remove wet clothing.
Cover the body with dry blankets, sleeping bags or layers, concentrating on the torso, head and neck. Handle the person gently.
Warm safely
Rewarm the body core gradually. Avoid direct high heat, hot baths, heating pads on numb skin and alcohol. Offer warm nonalcoholic drinks only if fully awake, able to swallow and not at risk of choking.
Do not walk on frostbitten feet unless essential for safety. Do not thaw a frozen body part if it may refreeze before care is available.
Monitor and hand over
Watch breathing and responsiveness and follow the dispatcher’s instructions. In severe cases breathing can be difficult to assess; seek professional guidance rather than assuming death.
Record how long the person was exposed, water immersion, symptoms and actions. Notify the medical team of all observations.
Field checklist
Tick items to review your readiness. Checkmarks remain on this page only and are not stored.
Related field guides
Further reading
This reference is educational and is not a substitute for emergency responder instructions, training or medical advice.