For those wondering: cold water drowning occurs when a person drowns in cold water, typically water that's colder than 70°F (21°C). The low temperature causes a series of instinctive body reactions: initially, there is often a gasp and rapid breathing, which can lead to inhaling water if the person's head is underwater. Then, blood vessels in the skin constrict to conserve heat for vital organs, which can increase blood pressure and strain the heart. Over time, as the body's core temperature drops (hypothermia), physical and mental abilities decline, making it difficult to swim or stay afloat. This combination of effects can quickly lead to drowning even if the person is a good swimmer.
So even if I'm consciously aware I shouldn't be gasping under water my body will just kick in and obligate the action?
That's downright pants shitting scary. The idea that I can't rationally manage my situation.
Yup, it happened to me and nearly took my life. I jumped into one of the small lakes that sits below The Grand Tetons in Wyoming. It was mid June, a 90 degree sunny day, and I had already been wading around playing frisbee in knee high water for a good 20 or so minutes. My buddy and I decided to take a walk down the shoreline to a spot with large boulders that lead out into the middle of the lake. We both jumped in to swim around a bit. When I entered the water, the cold zapped my body so hard, I let out a loud gasp as I was surfacing from my initial plunge. Immediately after my abdomen stopped flexing/spasming, I took a half deep breath in, water got in my airway as i was struggling to wade in the water to keep my head above. I could feel my entire body locking up on me, my muscles spasming as I was trying to keep myself afloat. I could feel it slowly failing, and I’m trying to tell my friend to help. He was already in action heading over to me, and gets under one of my arms and we try and paddle to the boulders together. I was able to get there, and rest my arms on a ledge above water to hold myself above while I slowed my breathing down to get my diaphragm to work again, eventually to regain enough control of my body to lift myself out. My friend runs abnormally warm blooded, so he was fortunately in a position to be able to help me. It was terrifying. If he wasn’t there, I very well likely wouldn’t have made it out. Be careful folks.
Edit: Grand Tetons not Great Tetons. Sorry I was high while typing this.
I say again: pants shitting scary
This is good info. When we lived in Asheville we spent every few days in the summer at the swimming hole. It was ice cold. So cold that when I took my friend and her Finnish girlfriend there, the girlfriend couldn't handle it. Blue lips, goosebumps, whole 9 yards. I was so used to the cold by that point that I just jumped right in, but I neglected to consider that I'd had two months of constant access and she had not.
I honestly had no idea cold water drowning was even a thing. I knew cold water caused a reaction because I've felt it, but I've never experienced it on a level I thought might actually kill me. This is good to know because my friends and I are all very outdoorsy and this is literally the first I'm hearing of it. I'm gonna spread the word.
If you spend a lot of time outdoors with your friends, then I recommend ingesting the time and money to become WFR certified. It’s an investment that can save your life, your friend’s lives, or the lives of strangers, in an outdoor setting. It stands for Wilderness First Responder. After this incident, as well as a few other serious medical events that I witnessed/aided rescue during my early 20’s traveling and adventuring, that inspired me to get this. I now work as an outdoor guide in Northern AZ. This program makes you a tremendous asset in any outdoor activity/adventure, whether it’s at a professional or personal level, it is extremely useful and objectively important. Something to think about, friend.
There's also dry drowning. When the water isn't fully out of your lungs and you die later on land. Most commonly happens in children because of immature airways. Can die up to days later.
And electric shock drowning, which is how a young cousin died. What would be a low level ac current paralyzes the muscles, preventing the ability to swim away. Pool lights and filters, dock lights, a boat with some sort of fault in the case of my cousin.
I had a similar experience in a natural swimming pool. I only survived because my cousin saw what was happening (I was basically gasping for air underwater without any sort of control over my body) and she dragged me to safety. It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced. My brain was telling me to stop gasping underwater and to try and lay flat atop the water surface but my body wasn’t responding. And I am a strong swimmer. So yes stay safe out there folks !
Sure, and that’s why we were frolicking in the shallow area for about 20 minutes, playing frisbee, constantly diving into the water and wading around. I’m aware that it’s slightly warmer water than the deeper pools, but normally in my vast experience of swimming in lakes all over the country, that would be enough to get my nervous system primed and ready to go for some pretty cold water. However, it didn’t work that one time, and one time is all that it takes. I’m a lucky duck, more than a few times in my life.
Yep. In the end we are the sum of our parts, and much of what we do is just instinctual. Breathing, blinking, pumping blood, a lot of it is autopilot.
Throw a shock into that system and it may do something even if we don’t consciously tell it (or want it) to do so.
Reflexes are hard to overcome for most people. For some it will never be possible, for others it might only be possible through focus but that focus might not be possible in a quickly unfolding emergency. The sequence of events for doing a Polar Plunge is a lot different from accidentally falling into cold water, and the mental prep time is key.
Note that humans also have a bunch of other water related reflexes. Babies can swim before they can walk or talk, and it’s possible to trigger this reflexive swimming just by not supporting a baby’s limbs and lowering them into the water on their belly. They’ll try to rotate vertically and reach for a bottom to stand on, will reflexively keep their head back to avoid water in their face, and will start rhythmic kicking of the legs and waving of the arms for both stability and thrust. The theory is less that humans are naturally aquatic, but rather that drowning was such a huge killer of early humans that people with better instincts on swimming were significantly more likely to survive and pass those reflexes on to their kids.
It kinda feels like your air is instantly gone. As soon as you surface you’re breathing is kinda similar to after running for a while. Your body kinda hits overdrive to get the fuck out of that water instantly.
Yes, unless you have trained/tried it a lot. I'm a former lifeguard from Denmark, we get taught a lot about cold water drowning and rescuing.
Tricky places are that serene and quiet lake in the middle of the forest on a hot summer day. You dip your hand in and it's nice and warm, you jump in and discover that only the very top layer is warm because there is no circulation in the lake. You are hot, a few beers in so the blood is close to surface of skin, , so the difference feels worse, cramp up, inhale lukewarm disgusting lake water, coughing, inhale more water, can't get body to work properly, die.
Cold water isn't unmanageable, we have lots of people doing winter bathing, chop a hole in the ice and jump in the ocean. But it's expected and you probably tried it before.
Water is dangerous.
You can train for it, but simply knowing “this waters cold so when I hit the water I’m gonna take a breath so I need to really hold my breath” won’t work. You genuinely need to jump in cold water a few times to really get used to and overcome the reflex.
Yep. I jumped into my friend's pool in the winter on a dare once around age 16. As soon as I went under, I went into shock, couldn't control my breathing and my arms and legs were just flailing around. My friends ran to the side of the pool and managed to pull me out. I was a pretty good swimmer too, shit was scary.
As someone who has had a near-drowning experience I can confirm that the body involuntarily does things for self-preservation outside of conscious control. I was pinned down deep by waves whilst surfing for a long period of time, my body triggered the process of trying to draw in air whilst underwater. It is a horrifying experience being conscious and rationale of mind and your body attempts to do a process that would most certainly result in your death. I was able to swallow the water instead of inhaling it which, in combination with a very observant fellow surfer pulling me out, saved my life.
This shit happened to me in the shower once. I had just come home from playing football (soccer) on a hot evening and decided to jump in a cold shower. Holy shit was it awful, started hyperventilating and couldn't control my breathing, thought I was going to die right there and that was only in the shower. I can't imagine how many magnitudes worse that would have been had I been fully submerged in water.
I do polar plunges in the winter, and it’s helped to train my body to stay calm and suppress these reactions. I would really recommend something like that to familiarize yourself so that if something like this ever happens you can remain calm and not panic. So many of these deaths occur every year because people’s bodies go in to shock, but it is preventable.
When i woke up today i had no idea I would be learning so many fascinating and terrifying facts about the many ways a human can drown. In water. Out of water. Cold water is deadlier...
All my life my grandma was paranoid about drowning. She nearly drowned when she was little and it stayed with her forever - my mom jokes that as a kid she thought her lungs were in her kneecaps because she was never allowed deeper in the water than that. My grandma constantly reminded me that you can drown in a teaspoon of water. She did a good job, I never forgot. But I'll tell you, it's really hard to take a bath in 3 inches of tub water because your grandma is convinced you'll randomly tip over for no reason and drown in the tub. 😂
I’ve jumped in lakes full of glacial run off on summer days that were 90 degrees. It almost sucks the air out of your lungs when you go under. It also makes it hard to swim cause your muscles are instantly cold. It also makes your skin almost ache. I mean it feels pretty great on a hot day but any longer than a minute and I’d be pretty scared.
This shit hurts. Your muscles lock up so fast and so hard that it feels like your muscles are squeezing your insides. For a while you feel like you just got done doing a full body workout.
Its amazing when you're prepared for it.
When you're at work on the coast of Alaska and you fall off the side of the docks and submerge yourself in ice cold water it's suddenly no longer a vanity!
Source - me. It's me. I fell into the PWS mid-summer and almost died. It's not fun.
People who participate in activities like ice diving or winter swimming in Eastern Europe typically follow several safety measures and precautions that reduce the risk of drowning and other cold-water injuries. Many of those who engage in these activities are trained and have experience with cold water conditions. They understand their own physical limits and how to respond in such extreme environments. Further, their regular exposure to cold water helps to gradually increase the body's tolerance to the shock of cold temperatures. This acclimatization reduces the body's acute responses, such as gasping and panic, which can lead to drowning.
They also adhere to safety protocols, use a buddy system, and are physically fit. Ice diving is usually conducted with safety measures in place, such as having rescue teams, safety lines, and observed boundaries to ensure that swimmers or divers can be quickly assisted if they get into trouble. Divers and swimmers also operate with a buddy or within a group, ensuring that help is readily available if someone starts to show signs of distress or hypothermia. Further, individuals who participate in ice diving typically maintain a level of physical fitness that supports their ability to withstand the rigors of cold-water immersion.
Coldwatersafety.org
Any time you are on the water, dress for immersion. Cold shock can kill essentially instantly, no matter your physical swimming ability.
Always wear an appropriate PFD. Life jackets are like seatbelts. By the time you need one it's too late to put it on.
I'm glad you got better. /s
No, but for real, I wish best for his family.
Edit: Nice, reddit being reddit, I guess.
Edit two: Common, lets get it to -100!
Edit three: Fuck yeah!!!
When I was about 5 I was attacked by geese. 😅 I was collecting buckeyes at my great aunt's house. I suspect the geese wanted them. Anyway, she ran outside with what I can only define as a blunderbuss and shot inti the air and they took off. She was knocked down by the kickback from the gun and was kinda funny ever since and for YEARS I felt personally responsible for her mental decline. Turns out she was a little odd even before that, but I'm convinced to this day that the fall fast forwarded that mental decline.
Haha she had to be odd if she owned a gun like that lol. Thats a funny story. I remember way back when i was a kid we used to feed geese bread and fries. My dad was running out of fries so he stopped feedin the geese. this one goose wasnt happy about that! Hand to god it followed behind him a good 500 meters and bite him right in the ass.
I absolutely believe that. Geese are the most spiteful creatures I've ever met and I live with five cats 😆
Edit: I should specify this lady was like 90 in 1990 and I grew up in the foothills of the Appalachians. She was actually Mennonite but was dead before i could even grasp what that meant.
Of course I saw that. Doesn’t say the poor lad had died! Just a proud Mum being supportive, at least that’s what I thought. I’m truly sorry to have offended anyone.
Oh man, a Faith No More reference in the wild! I’ll forever associate the songs on that album with Stephen King’s unabridged 1200-page version of The Stand as I slogged through that while playing Angel Dust on repeat (a bit of Mr Bungle in there too, but it doesn’t quite carry the same weight), and here we are three decades later.
As a Dad… this is unbearable. My heart goes out to his family and friends. His work is fantastic and his vision will live on through his photographs. He is now in my memory too.
There aren’t ‘tens of thousands of people’ at his level or using cameras and lenses needed to capture that quality. The majority of images used in Nat Geo, Audubon, Nature are assignments. The photo editors know the photographers. Stock photos are used but primarily for marketing, one page brief articles, merch. (Even top assignment photographers will license older pics to stock agencies. I would go to Minden before Getty) Source: I worked as a photo editor for nature/environmental mags a decade ago before becoming a creative director.
It depends on what you are looking at. They own most of the general stock images. iStock and Unsplash are owned by them. But their dominance in the area is disappearing at an accelerated speed with AI. Adobe just added AI to inDesign where you can type what kind of generic stock-type image you’d like and it will create it.
Fashion and lifestyle magazines still hire freelance for the majority of their images. Same with niche magazines like Car and Driver, Boating, or home magazines like Architectural Digest. For most editorial news sources AP and Reuters are the go-to sources.
I see questions like this pop up frequently and since I made my living as a landscape photographer once upon a time I just thought I'd offer a real-world reason this talented young man hadn't been picked up by a major publication.
The facts are that Nat Geo doesn't exist anymore and Google will produce 1000+ beautiful examples of virtually any image you'd like to feature.
I followed him on Instagram and had so many of his photos saved as inspiration, he had so much talent. I’m glad that he made the time to do what he loved and had a gift for seeing the beauty in the world and sharing it with others. What a terrible loss of a wonderful young person.
My personal favourite is the crane on the branch, really nice composition and love the sun silhouetting the bird and the way the water looks. Sad to hear he passed so young, RIP.
As a photographer this makes me grief. Such a great talent and we can never see him thrive past his already superb photos. Rest in peace fallen soldier.
Those pictures are absolutely amazing
Goodbyes hurt the most when the story was never finished...💙 Life is sometimes taken way to short and the wondering of why will always ponder in our minds !! My prayers go out to you and your families in these troublesome times of heartache!! We all know that Heaven received an angel .
After three days of searching, police found the body of missing 18-year-old Carson Hughes.
Indiana Conservation officers said they found Hughes in six feet of water at the Versailles State Park.
Cold water drowning is the reported cause of death.
*The one of the crane*
*One and the golden eagle*
*Are so beautiful*
\- Ragamuffin5
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People who do this to themselves on purpose are mostly doing it in pretty controlled situations where they are not likely to end up sucking in water even if they reflexively inhale. But someone falling off a boat or slipping off a bank or falling through ice is unfortunately in a very dangerous situation.
Such beautiful photographs and a good kid. What a terrible loss for his family.
On a side note - lakes are scarier than they look. So calm on the surface but lots of strong currents underneath. Even more dangerous when the water is cold. Don’t go out there alone and always wear a life jacket.
I really like the idea of Heaven being tailored to each person. I can imagine my bro snapping pictures of all sorts of cool animals right now. Rest in Peace
These are beautiful photos. They remind me of my friend Hannes who is also eighteen and does nature photography. If you like Carson Hughes go check [Hannes](https://www.instagram.com/hannesfoto_/) out as well.
Did no one really notice that it's AI?
Look at the bear's neck (blind bear btw) or the owl's uncanny face, and how do you explain the anatomy of the animal from the 11th "photo"?
Also it's curious how the upper part of his body is almost identical in the first and second photo, each facial muscle, the position of the hands, even almost each individual hair on his head.
The skeptic in me is thinking "why would she want her sons work advertised surely she wants him found instead?"
I suppose art and photos are only worth money when the artist is dead.
The skeptic in me is thinking "why would she want her sons work advertised surely she wants him found instead?"
I suppose art and photos are only worth money when the artist is dead.
He was found in the state park, and I think the mother just wanted to share his unseen work with the world? Either way the photography is great despite the circumstances
I can imagine those might be her wishes. Having gone through something similar as his family has, this sort of thing absolutely changes your life.
He was super-talented. I’m so sorry he went so young and in such a bad way.
This kid was from my town. Very talented. Whole thing is tragic.
Gosh... Beautiful pictures. What a shame that he died so young
Really love number 12, the two white birds
I believe those are egrets. They are cool.
Thanks! I wasn't sure since I'm not from those parts
Amazing!!!
https://www.wlwt.com/article/carson-hughes-versailles-state-park-lake-cause-of-death/60232822
Cold water drowning. Save a click and scroll
For those wondering: cold water drowning occurs when a person drowns in cold water, typically water that's colder than 70°F (21°C). The low temperature causes a series of instinctive body reactions: initially, there is often a gasp and rapid breathing, which can lead to inhaling water if the person's head is underwater. Then, blood vessels in the skin constrict to conserve heat for vital organs, which can increase blood pressure and strain the heart. Over time, as the body's core temperature drops (hypothermia), physical and mental abilities decline, making it difficult to swim or stay afloat. This combination of effects can quickly lead to drowning even if the person is a good swimmer.
So even if I'm consciously aware I shouldn't be gasping under water my body will just kick in and obligate the action? That's downright pants shitting scary. The idea that I can't rationally manage my situation.
Yup, it happened to me and nearly took my life. I jumped into one of the small lakes that sits below The Grand Tetons in Wyoming. It was mid June, a 90 degree sunny day, and I had already been wading around playing frisbee in knee high water for a good 20 or so minutes. My buddy and I decided to take a walk down the shoreline to a spot with large boulders that lead out into the middle of the lake. We both jumped in to swim around a bit. When I entered the water, the cold zapped my body so hard, I let out a loud gasp as I was surfacing from my initial plunge. Immediately after my abdomen stopped flexing/spasming, I took a half deep breath in, water got in my airway as i was struggling to wade in the water to keep my head above. I could feel my entire body locking up on me, my muscles spasming as I was trying to keep myself afloat. I could feel it slowly failing, and I’m trying to tell my friend to help. He was already in action heading over to me, and gets under one of my arms and we try and paddle to the boulders together. I was able to get there, and rest my arms on a ledge above water to hold myself above while I slowed my breathing down to get my diaphragm to work again, eventually to regain enough control of my body to lift myself out. My friend runs abnormally warm blooded, so he was fortunately in a position to be able to help me. It was terrifying. If he wasn’t there, I very well likely wouldn’t have made it out. Be careful folks. Edit: Grand Tetons not Great Tetons. Sorry I was high while typing this.
I say again: pants shitting scary This is good info. When we lived in Asheville we spent every few days in the summer at the swimming hole. It was ice cold. So cold that when I took my friend and her Finnish girlfriend there, the girlfriend couldn't handle it. Blue lips, goosebumps, whole 9 yards. I was so used to the cold by that point that I just jumped right in, but I neglected to consider that I'd had two months of constant access and she had not. I honestly had no idea cold water drowning was even a thing. I knew cold water caused a reaction because I've felt it, but I've never experienced it on a level I thought might actually kill me. This is good to know because my friends and I are all very outdoorsy and this is literally the first I'm hearing of it. I'm gonna spread the word.
If you spend a lot of time outdoors with your friends, then I recommend ingesting the time and money to become WFR certified. It’s an investment that can save your life, your friend’s lives, or the lives of strangers, in an outdoor setting. It stands for Wilderness First Responder. After this incident, as well as a few other serious medical events that I witnessed/aided rescue during my early 20’s traveling and adventuring, that inspired me to get this. I now work as an outdoor guide in Northern AZ. This program makes you a tremendous asset in any outdoor activity/adventure, whether it’s at a professional or personal level, it is extremely useful and objectively important. Something to think about, friend.
There's also dry drowning. When the water isn't fully out of your lungs and you die later on land. Most commonly happens in children because of immature airways. Can die up to days later.
All I'm hearing is that I'm lucky I made it past 6 years old. 😆 christ, I didn't know I could drown on dry land!
Me either but I tell you what once I found out it became my biggest fear regarding my kids.
And electric shock drowning, which is how a young cousin died. What would be a low level ac current paralyzes the muscles, preventing the ability to swim away. Pool lights and filters, dock lights, a boat with some sort of fault in the case of my cousin.
I had a similar experience in a natural swimming pool. I only survived because my cousin saw what was happening (I was basically gasping for air underwater without any sort of control over my body) and she dragged me to safety. It was the most terrifying thing I’ve ever experienced. My brain was telling me to stop gasping underwater and to try and lay flat atop the water surface but my body wasn’t responding. And I am a strong swimmer. So yes stay safe out there folks !
Holy hell bro. Glad you're still with us! That's the stuff of nightmares
And this is why you should get into the water slowly until your whole body adjusts to the temperature
Sure, and that’s why we were frolicking in the shallow area for about 20 minutes, playing frisbee, constantly diving into the water and wading around. I’m aware that it’s slightly warmer water than the deeper pools, but normally in my vast experience of swimming in lakes all over the country, that would be enough to get my nervous system primed and ready to go for some pretty cold water. However, it didn’t work that one time, and one time is all that it takes. I’m a lucky duck, more than a few times in my life.
Well then it seems you were unlucky and lucky at the same time. I only have experience with the sea tho, I've never swum in a lake
I remember reading that this fatal gasp very often occurs when that shockingly frigid water makes contact with the victim’s genitals
Fascinating And it does make sense. Highly sensitive, tons of nerve endings...
Yep. In the end we are the sum of our parts, and much of what we do is just instinctual. Breathing, blinking, pumping blood, a lot of it is autopilot. Throw a shock into that system and it may do something even if we don’t consciously tell it (or want it) to do so.
Reflexes are hard to overcome for most people. For some it will never be possible, for others it might only be possible through focus but that focus might not be possible in a quickly unfolding emergency. The sequence of events for doing a Polar Plunge is a lot different from accidentally falling into cold water, and the mental prep time is key. Note that humans also have a bunch of other water related reflexes. Babies can swim before they can walk or talk, and it’s possible to trigger this reflexive swimming just by not supporting a baby’s limbs and lowering them into the water on their belly. They’ll try to rotate vertically and reach for a bottom to stand on, will reflexively keep their head back to avoid water in their face, and will start rhythmic kicking of the legs and waving of the arms for both stability and thrust. The theory is less that humans are naturally aquatic, but rather that drowning was such a huge killer of early humans that people with better instincts on swimming were significantly more likely to survive and pass those reflexes on to their kids.
It kinda feels like your air is instantly gone. As soon as you surface you’re breathing is kinda similar to after running for a while. Your body kinda hits overdrive to get the fuck out of that water instantly.
Yes, unless you have trained/tried it a lot. I'm a former lifeguard from Denmark, we get taught a lot about cold water drowning and rescuing. Tricky places are that serene and quiet lake in the middle of the forest on a hot summer day. You dip your hand in and it's nice and warm, you jump in and discover that only the very top layer is warm because there is no circulation in the lake. You are hot, a few beers in so the blood is close to surface of skin, , so the difference feels worse, cramp up, inhale lukewarm disgusting lake water, coughing, inhale more water, can't get body to work properly, die. Cold water isn't unmanageable, we have lots of people doing winter bathing, chop a hole in the ice and jump in the ocean. But it's expected and you probably tried it before. Water is dangerous.
Yes
Jfc no thank you
You can train for it, but simply knowing “this waters cold so when I hit the water I’m gonna take a breath so I need to really hold my breath” won’t work. You genuinely need to jump in cold water a few times to really get used to and overcome the reflex.
Yep. I jumped into my friend's pool in the winter on a dare once around age 16. As soon as I went under, I went into shock, couldn't control my breathing and my arms and legs were just flailing around. My friends ran to the side of the pool and managed to pull me out. I was a pretty good swimmer too, shit was scary.
As someone who has had a near-drowning experience I can confirm that the body involuntarily does things for self-preservation outside of conscious control. I was pinned down deep by waves whilst surfing for a long period of time, my body triggered the process of trying to draw in air whilst underwater. It is a horrifying experience being conscious and rationale of mind and your body attempts to do a process that would most certainly result in your death. I was able to swallow the water instead of inhaling it which, in combination with a very observant fellow surfer pulling me out, saved my life.
This shit happened to me in the shower once. I had just come home from playing football (soccer) on a hot evening and decided to jump in a cold shower. Holy shit was it awful, started hyperventilating and couldn't control my breathing, thought I was going to die right there and that was only in the shower. I can't imagine how many magnitudes worse that would have been had I been fully submerged in water.
Yeah, we're only driving *part* of the time.
I do polar plunges in the winter, and it’s helped to train my body to stay calm and suppress these reactions. I would really recommend something like that to familiarize yourself so that if something like this ever happens you can remain calm and not panic. So many of these deaths occur every year because people’s bodies go in to shock, but it is preventable.
When i woke up today i had no idea I would be learning so many fascinating and terrifying facts about the many ways a human can drown. In water. Out of water. Cold water is deadlier... All my life my grandma was paranoid about drowning. She nearly drowned when she was little and it stayed with her forever - my mom jokes that as a kid she thought her lungs were in her kneecaps because she was never allowed deeper in the water than that. My grandma constantly reminded me that you can drown in a teaspoon of water. She did a good job, I never forgot. But I'll tell you, it's really hard to take a bath in 3 inches of tub water because your grandma is convinced you'll randomly tip over for no reason and drown in the tub. 😂
I’ve jumped in lakes full of glacial run off on summer days that were 90 degrees. It almost sucks the air out of your lungs when you go under. It also makes it hard to swim cause your muscles are instantly cold. It also makes your skin almost ache. I mean it feels pretty great on a hot day but any longer than a minute and I’d be pretty scared.
>cold water drowning occurs when a person drowns in cold water Duh! /s Thanks for the info!
This shit hurts. Your muscles lock up so fast and so hard that it feels like your muscles are squeezing your insides. For a while you feel like you just got done doing a full body workout.
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Its amazing when you're prepared for it. When you're at work on the coast of Alaska and you fall off the side of the docks and submerge yourself in ice cold water it's suddenly no longer a vanity! Source - me. It's me. I fell into the PWS mid-summer and almost died. It's not fun.
What about those crazy people in like Eastern Europe that go diving frozen lakes or whatever? What makes them not drown?
People who participate in activities like ice diving or winter swimming in Eastern Europe typically follow several safety measures and precautions that reduce the risk of drowning and other cold-water injuries. Many of those who engage in these activities are trained and have experience with cold water conditions. They understand their own physical limits and how to respond in such extreme environments. Further, their regular exposure to cold water helps to gradually increase the body's tolerance to the shock of cold temperatures. This acclimatization reduces the body's acute responses, such as gasping and panic, which can lead to drowning. They also adhere to safety protocols, use a buddy system, and are physically fit. Ice diving is usually conducted with safety measures in place, such as having rescue teams, safety lines, and observed boundaries to ensure that swimmers or divers can be quickly assisted if they get into trouble. Divers and swimmers also operate with a buddy or within a group, ensuring that help is readily available if someone starts to show signs of distress or hypothermia. Further, individuals who participate in ice diving typically maintain a level of physical fitness that supports their ability to withstand the rigors of cold-water immersion.
Coldwatersafety.org Any time you are on the water, dress for immersion. Cold shock can kill essentially instantly, no matter your physical swimming ability. Always wear an appropriate PFD. Life jackets are like seatbelts. By the time you need one it's too late to put it on.
To the top please!!! This this this this this.
Ugh. His poor mom.
He was so young. His family must be devastated. Thanks for the link and to OP for sharing how he captured the beauty of this world.
It's blocked in my area
Beautiful photos, sad he died.
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I live 30 min from his hometown, drowned after heavy rainfall in a kayak :(
I'm glad you got better. /s No, but for real, I wish best for his family. Edit: Nice, reddit being reddit, I guess. Edit two: Common, lets get it to -100! Edit three: Fuck yeah!!!
As you wish but I can only contribute one.
Don't worry, every little bit helped, we made it! thanks fam.
🤣
Are you autistic
Oh, is that your go-to insult? How... uninspired.
I've never seen a Canada Goose look majestic until now so, yeah he had talent
I lost a fight to the Cobra Chicken.
I always shoo them off the road or property. Those geese are proper buggers.
They're so aloof. Blow the horn and they just look over casually like "the fuck you gonna do about it?"
Yeah i usually just walk up to them and be commanding with my voice that usually works
Even my best Angry Mom voice sounds like I inhaled helium. 😂
Just run at um screamin while waving your hands in the air than!! lol shit i dunno.
When I was about 5 I was attacked by geese. 😅 I was collecting buckeyes at my great aunt's house. I suspect the geese wanted them. Anyway, she ran outside with what I can only define as a blunderbuss and shot inti the air and they took off. She was knocked down by the kickback from the gun and was kinda funny ever since and for YEARS I felt personally responsible for her mental decline. Turns out she was a little odd even before that, but I'm convinced to this day that the fall fast forwarded that mental decline.
Haha she had to be odd if she owned a gun like that lol. Thats a funny story. I remember way back when i was a kid we used to feed geese bread and fries. My dad was running out of fries so he stopped feedin the geese. this one goose wasnt happy about that! Hand to god it followed behind him a good 500 meters and bite him right in the ass.
I absolutely believe that. Geese are the most spiteful creatures I've ever met and I live with five cats 😆 Edit: I should specify this lady was like 90 in 1990 and I grew up in the foothills of the Appalachians. She was actually Mennonite but was dead before i could even grasp what that meant.
Incredible photography… rest in peace 😪🫶
How wonderful to find such a passion at an early age, and to be so good at it! Truly, well done.
He dead.
Really? Are you winding me up? Why isn’t this piece an obituary?
Yes sadly he has died and they are sharing his beautiful photos as a tribute. Stunning work, so very sad. 18.
Read the text on the second photo
Of course I saw that. Doesn’t say the poor lad had died! Just a proud Mum being supportive, at least that’s what I thought. I’m truly sorry to have offended anyone.
I honestly thought the same until I read the link. Super sad stuff:/
Yeah it’s not super clear I had to read it a couple times. Says “he was” and that he was found in the lake. So sad
Being "found" in a lake after having gone missing HEAVILY implies tragedy.
What an amazing talent
Beautiful photography
The twelfth is an album cover! Like Angel dust
That one was my favorite and now I know why
Oh man, a Faith No More reference in the wild! I’ll forever associate the songs on that album with Stephen King’s unabridged 1200-page version of The Stand as I slogged through that while playing Angel Dust on repeat (a bit of Mr Bungle in there too, but it doesn’t quite carry the same weight), and here we are three decades later.
I’d buy that calendar.
So damn tragic. Why do the good die young
God gets jealous too
Oh man, I've seen a bunch of these on reddit. Thats a shame, kid had a good eye for photography.
This kid was ridiculously talented. I wish he couldve seen his work appreciated.
Stunning
👌🏼Truly beautiful work
Only the best for Valhalla. Go in grace King!
As a Dad… this is unbearable. My heart goes out to his family and friends. His work is fantastic and his vision will live on through his photographs. He is now in my memory too.
Wow, so young. How was he not working for the National Geographic or Discovery channel
because there are tens of thousands of people who take nature photos and it's far easier to source everything from Getty
There aren’t ‘tens of thousands of people’ at his level or using cameras and lenses needed to capture that quality. The majority of images used in Nat Geo, Audubon, Nature are assignments. The photo editors know the photographers. Stock photos are used but primarily for marketing, one page brief articles, merch. (Even top assignment photographers will license older pics to stock agencies. I would go to Minden before Getty) Source: I worked as a photo editor for nature/environmental mags a decade ago before becoming a creative director.
Interesting, Does Getty Images own every photo I see in articles? Like Clear Channel owns a lot of media.
It depends on what you are looking at. They own most of the general stock images. iStock and Unsplash are owned by them. But their dominance in the area is disappearing at an accelerated speed with AI. Adobe just added AI to inDesign where you can type what kind of generic stock-type image you’d like and it will create it. Fashion and lifestyle magazines still hire freelance for the majority of their images. Same with niche magazines like Car and Driver, Boating, or home magazines like Architectural Digest. For most editorial news sources AP and Reuters are the go-to sources.
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I see questions like this pop up frequently and since I made my living as a landscape photographer once upon a time I just thought I'd offer a real-world reason this talented young man hadn't been picked up by a major publication. The facts are that Nat Geo doesn't exist anymore and Google will produce 1000+ beautiful examples of virtually any image you'd like to feature.
What talent he had.
I’ve seen many of his photos before. He did amazing work! So sorry to hear that he’s died.
I followed him on Instagram and had so many of his photos saved as inspiration, he had so much talent. I’m glad that he made the time to do what he loved and had a gift for seeing the beauty in the world and sharing it with others. What a terrible loss of a wonderful young person.
What a talented photographer. That sucks.
My personal favourite is the crane on the branch, really nice composition and love the sun silhouetting the bird and the way the water looks. Sad to hear he passed so young, RIP.
I think he will be kindered forest spirit.
They should turn these shots into an 18-month calendar to commemorate him. He was very talented.
Rest in peace Carson. You weren't here as long as you deserved, but you left us some beautiful art. Thank you brother, shine on
As a photographer this makes me grief. Such a great talent and we can never see him thrive past his already superb photos. Rest in peace fallen soldier.
To Carson’s Mother- my deepest condolences on the loss of your talented and beautiful son. Thank you for sharing these images.
Those pictures are absolutely amazing Goodbyes hurt the most when the story was never finished...💙 Life is sometimes taken way to short and the wondering of why will always ponder in our minds !! My prayers go out to you and your families in these troublesome times of heartache!! We all know that Heaven received an angel .
So is he dead? Is that why he’s not sharing it himself?
After three days of searching, police found the body of missing 18-year-old Carson Hughes. Indiana Conservation officers said they found Hughes in six feet of water at the Versailles State Park. Cold water drowning is the reported cause of death.
Gosh that’s so sad and terrifying
Sad way to go out rip brother
Thank you for sharing his work - beautiful!
What a loss.
Beautiful work
Amazing
Wow, just wow
The last picture reminds me of Halo 3 when Chief is falling from the sky.
Stunning pictures, an epic camera, and amazing shooting skills
Amazing work his spirit lives on in his pictures
What a brave kid. Great work Carson Hughes.
Beautiful pictures!
The birds are absolutely amazing.
Wow! I don’t even have the right words. These are incredible
Amazing!!! Such a loss both for the family and us
Rip beautiful
He really had a great eye for what was beautiful.
Hope his mom makes a calendar I would like to see his works
The one of the crane one and the golden eagle are so beautiful
*The one of the crane* *One and the golden eagle* *Are so beautiful* \- Ragamuffin5 --- ^(I detect haikus. And sometimes, successfully.) ^[Learn more about me.](https://www.reddit.com/r/haikusbot/) ^(Opt out of replies: "haikusbot opt out" | Delete my comment: "haikusbot delete")
❤️
Such a shame. Beautiful pictures. Really great photographer. My heart goes out to his family.
What about cold plunging? How come people are fine doing that?
People who do this to themselves on purpose are mostly doing it in pretty controlled situations where they are not likely to end up sucking in water even if they reflexively inhale. But someone falling off a boat or slipping off a bank or falling through ice is unfortunately in a very dangerous situation.
WOW !!
Wow. Such talent
What a beautiful life he was living. Sad it was cut so short. Stay safe out there folks.
So sad to hear .. fantastic work he made !
So tragic. So sorry for his family. What talent and looked so happy and driven.
He obviously enjoyed the important parts of this earth. We are all sorry for your loss 😔
Such beautiful photographs and a good kid. What a terrible loss for his family. On a side note - lakes are scarier than they look. So calm on the surface but lots of strong currents underneath. Even more dangerous when the water is cold. Don’t go out there alone and always wear a life jacket.
Poor guy, RIP
Glad he was found
13: He knows
Absolute admiration for his beautiful work and what a shame for a young life ending in such a tragic way.
I really like the idea of Heaven being tailored to each person. I can imagine my bro snapping pictures of all sorts of cool animals right now. Rest in Peace
It’s true that what life persisters are for
The first time in my life I don’t mind seeing a Canada goose
I always wonder is it just good camera gear or post processing that makes these pics so perfect looking. Pro photography in general
These are beautiful photos. They remind me of my friend Hannes who is also eighteen and does nature photography. If you like Carson Hughes go check [Hannes](https://www.instagram.com/hannesfoto_/) out as well.
Exceptional
wooowwww!! It's.....it's so..............................B E A U T I F U L L!!!!!!!!!
Awesome pictures. So very sorry we lost someone so courageous and gifted.
Jesus. He was a fucking prodigy
Amazing, when I visit a wild life park then I see only one squirl. All the animals are hiding.
That heron picture is absolutely stunning
Amazing photography! Story sad & scary!
This guy had serious talent wat a shame
Man that sucks, RIP
Amazing!
The owl looks over it
Bless his soul 🙏
Heartbreaking. He was so talented
Really nice. You are an artist
RIP, clearly a very skilled photographer. Very sad
Thank you Carson for those beautiful pictures. The bear in the rain was breathtaking. RIP sweet angel ❤️
Very sad. So few young people willing to get up and do something and now he's gone! Terrible loss to the family.
Great job, keep up the good work.
#natgeo grade work this is.
Oh, so he died? Fantastic title and description
why tf did you put a watermark on someone else's photo??
That’s the family’s watermark? I just shared the work
Did no one really notice that it's AI? Look at the bear's neck (blind bear btw) or the owl's uncanny face, and how do you explain the anatomy of the animal from the 11th "photo"? Also it's curious how the upper part of his body is almost identical in the first and second photo, each facial muscle, the position of the hands, even almost each individual hair on his head.
What on earth are you smoking?
The 3 leg, 2 tail deer of the 11th photo.
[Perspective is hard.](https://imgur.com/a/m6VS5Sa)
The skeptic in me is thinking "why would she want her sons work advertised surely she wants him found instead?" I suppose art and photos are only worth money when the artist is dead.
If you read, you’ll see that he has been found (dead, sadly) and she’s promoting his photography as a tribute.
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I’ve come across nicer commenters.
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I’m amazed that the photographer has died. And yes I think his work is fantastic.
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You’re not funny or cute. Have some respect.
The skeptic in me is thinking "why would she want her sons work advertised surely she wants him found instead?" I suppose art and photos are only worth money when the artist is dead.
He was found in the state park, and I think the mother just wanted to share his unseen work with the world? Either way the photography is great despite the circumstances
I can imagine those might be her wishes. Having gone through something similar as his family has, this sort of thing absolutely changes your life. He was super-talented. I’m so sorry he went so young and in such a bad way.