Emergency room doctors fear the nearly two dozen people who plunged 180 feet from a bridge in Baltimore last night may not survive — having revealed their biological race against time.
Around 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Singapore-flagged freighter Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, launching at least 20 people into the cold waters of the Patapsco River below.
This includes six construction workers who were on foot on the bridge and people in five cars. Two people have been rescued so far, while another is in critical condition, officials announced.
Tragically, doctors told DailyMail.com that those on foot would suffer a painful fall that would feel like ‘hitting concrete’ and lead to serious injuries such as broken bones and a ruptured heart, with a slim chance of survival.
Once in the 47-degree water, hypothermia set in, causing hyperventilation, loss of motor control, confusion and organ failure, all within three minutes.
And those in cars would have only two minutes to escape their cars before drowning.
Officials in Baltimore are racing to rescue 20 people who plunged into the Patapsco River after a Singaporean freighter crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge
Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it.
A normal human body temperature is generally considered to be 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius), although it can range from 97 to 99 F (36.1 to 37.2 C).
However, exposure to cold air or water can cause body temperature to gradually drop. A temperature of 95 F or less is considered hypothermia.
Dr. Jared L Ross, an emergency room doctor, told DailyMail.com: “At these water temperatures, without protective clothing such as a dip suit or drysuit, we would expect the effects of hypothermia to set in quickly,” he said.
Dr. Ross estimated that a person with hypothermia can lose motor skills or become clumsy in just three to five minutes.
“Exhaustion should occur within 30-60 minutes, with loss of consciousness expected by the end of the first hour,” he said.
Although Dr. Ross noted that someone who is “floating and has access to fresh air to breathe” can survive for up to three hours, those without this can suffer fatal organ failure within about an hour.
Within about three to five minutes, the heart rate and blood pressure drop because the person is too cold to pump normal blood flow through the body.
The result of not getting enough blood, oxygen and nutrients through the body is nerve damage, which can occur after just 20 minutes.
The bridge spans 9,000 feet over the Patapsco River and is 180 feet above the water
Nerves begin to die, which can cause a patient to think they are burning instead of freezing, causing them to take off their clothes.
And after 30 to 60 minutes, a person can lose consciousness, organs such as the heart, lungs and brain begin to shut down.
Several factors can affect how long a person can survive hypothermia.
Dr. LouAnn Giangreco, emergency room physician and Chief Medical Officer of American Family Care, told DailyMail.com that children in particular may have an advantage because they have a larger body surface area (BSA) than adults, which allows the body to better maintain core strength. temperature.
“This means a child can survive for up to an hour if immersed in very cold water of less than 4°C,” Dr Ross said.
It is unclear whether children were involved in the bridge collapse in Baltimore.
Dr. Giangreco also noted that individuals who are more physically fit can also survive longer because their bodies can adapt to harsh conditions more quickly.
‘Although treading water can significantly extend survival in warmer water, in cold water depletion will set in quickly and swimming ability will not significantly increase survival,’ said Dr Ross.
A person’s weight can also determine how quickly he or she succumbs to hypothermia. Researchers have foundFor example, people with visceral fat – which is located deep in the abdominal wall – can maintain a normal core temperature for longer than people with a lower fat content.
However, subcutaneous fat, which is located just under the skin, does not have the same effect.
Maryland Governor Wes Moore (left) hugs Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott
For those on the bridge, such as construction workers, Dr. Giangreco said she “doesn’t expect” them to survive the 180-foot fall.
This is due to the high speed at which a person falls, also called speed, and hits the water.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the maximum speed at which someone can survive a fall into water is about 100 feet per second (109.8 km/h). This corresponds to 186 feet.
“Given that the bridge is approximately 55 meters above the water, this is the upper limit of survivability in the event of a fall,” Dr Ross said.
‘Falling from this height can cause severe blunt trauma, especially if the person lands on their chest or stomach.’
This involves rupturing internal organs, namely the aorta, which is the largest artery in the body and which carries blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
Dr. Ross noted that this can cause death within seconds.
There is evidence that the human body can only sustain a significantly shorter dive.
a 2022 study from Cornell University the average threshold a person can survive is eight meters head first, 12 meters hands first, and 15 meters feet first.
For those stuck in their cars, time is of the essence.
“Generally, cars fill completely with water within 30 seconds to 3 minutes and sink within a few minutes of filling,” said Dr. Ross.
‘To survive you have to escape from your car within 30 to 120 seconds.’
However, this depends on whether the windows were open, and the make and model of the car.
Dr. Giangreco said treatment for hypothermia depends on the severity of the condition, although it largely involves returning the body to a normal temperature.
This includes passive warming, where a person is given warm fluids and heated blankets.
In more severe cases, a patient may be given warm intravenous fluids and blood rewarming, in which blood is drawn, warmed, and recirculated in the body.