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Not your average polar bear dip
Canadian Forces practise winter warfare training in Yellowknife
Kevin Allerston Northern News Services Published Saturday, March 5, 2011
Sgt. Rodney Vaters was one of 35 troops who took the plunge. "There is nothing you can really do to prepare for it," said Vaters. "The most important thing is controlling the gasp reflex and the urge to panic. You can't panic." They weren't doing a polar bear dip. They were training for cold weather operations, and Vaters said he feels pretty well prepared for if he should ever need to use the training in real life. "It would be good to do it again, but I feel I would be OK if the situation occurred in real life circumstances," said Vaters. The forces were doing the exercise under the instruction of Capt. Arne Alexander Strand from the Norwegian School of Winter Warfare. Strand said the most dangerous part of the exercise is not actually the time spent in the water, but the time between coming out of the water and getting into dry, warm clothes. "The water isn't as bad. It's usually around 2 C, so you can actually stay in there for a few minutes and be OK. It is when you come out of the water and the colder air starts drawing heat from your body, that is the critical time," said Strand. "What you have to do is turn around, use your picks to pull yourself out and spread out your weight. Roll in the snow because snow absorbs water, get out of wet clothes and into dry ones and go back the way you came over the ice. That's how you know it is good ice, because it supported you before. "We had the benefit of a warm tent nearby, about 30 feet away. In more advanced training we would have them make a fire to dry their clothes and get warm." Capt. Chris Blencowe oversaw the exercise. "There was the warm tent and we had medical staff nearby just in case we did need them. You know, you hear about people going into shock the moment they hit the water, but it is actually pretty safe." The soldiers were in Yellowknife before going to Resolute where they are conducting more winter training.
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