Two died, one rescued from cold water in Connecticut this weekend

Three people were pulled from the water in Connecticut — and two of them died — during the unusually hot weekend, prompting warnings about cold water safety as Memorial Day approaches.

In Lyme Saturday, a 16year-old died after being rescued from Uncas Pond in the Nehantic State Forest. The boy had been swimming with friends before he went underwater, said Will Healey, spokesperson with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

On Sunday, 34-year-old Rodrigo Tocto died after his kayak capsized on Lake Quonnipaug in Guilford. Tocto, of Orange, was trying to retrieve his paddle when the kayak overturned, Healey said.

Officials said neither of the victims were wearing life jackets. The name of the teenage victim has not been released.

In Portland, bystanders jumped into action when a swimmer called out for help Sunday on Great Hill Pond, the fire chief said. The good Samaritans, one a retired firefighter who lives on the lake, used a boat and brought the swimmer to shore. He was taken to the hospital, but his condition wasn’t clear Monday.

A plunge into cold water can shock the system, causing swimmers to gasp and triggering a spike in their breathing, heart rate and blood pressure, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

This is especially dangerous for vulnerable people and can cause heart failure and stroke, NOAA said. But “the sudden gasp and rapid breathing alone creates a greater risk of drowning even for confident swimmers in calm waters.”

The next thing that happens is the loss of muscular control, the organization said on its website.

“The progressive loss of muscular control makes staying afloat without assistance or self-rescue virtually impossible,” the organization said. “Wearing a life jacket significantly increases chances of survival.”

As the swimmer’s body temperature starts to decrease, hypothermia begins to set in. Cold water drains body heat up to four times faster than cold air, NOAA says.

“Beyond the initial dangers of cold shock in the first 1-3 minutes of immersion, a person’s body temperature will continue to drop, increasing the risk of drowning or death,” the agency says.

As the body temperature continues to drop, so does the swimmer’s physical and cognitive abilities, NOAA says. Without rescue, drowning or death “becomes inevitable.”