Emergency
112European emergency 117Police 118Fire brigade 144Ambulance 1414Rega (air rescue) 145Tox Info (poisoning)
Local time
First aid

Hypothermia & frostbite

Emergency call 144. In case of unconsciousness, respiratory arrest or life-threatening bleeding, immediately alert the medical emergency control centre and follow its instructions.

Without heating, out in the open or after a fall into water, the body cools down faster than many people think. Hypothermia develops insidiously: first shivering and cold limbs, later confusion and dangerous apathy. Anyone who knows the signs can react early and correctly – which is particularly relevant during prolonged power outages in winter.

Recognising hypothermia

  1. Mild hypothermia: cold shivering, pale cool skin, fast pulse, person awake and responsive
  2. Moderate hypothermia: shivering stops, drowsiness, slurred speech, indifference
  3. Severe hypothermia: unconsciousness, barely palpable pulse – mortal danger, 144 immediately

First aid for an awake person

  1. Get them out of wind, wet and cold – improvise a windbreak, insulate from the ground
  2. Replace wet clothing with dry, cover the head
  3. Wrap in blankets or a survival blanket, warm up together
  4. Give warm, sugared drinks – NO alcohol, NO coffee
  5. Active movement is only sensible with mild hypothermia

First aid for a drowsy or unconscious person

  1. Alert 144 immediately (out in the open: Rega 1414)
  2. Lay the person flat and move them as little as possible
  3. Protect from further cooling: insulation underneath, blankets, survival blanket
  4. Unconscious with normal breathing: recovery position, monitor breathing continuously
  5. No normal breathing: start resuscitation and continue until the professionals arrive
Caution: With moderate and severe hypothermia, no active movement and no hot baths – the sudden return flow of cold blood can trigger ventricular fibrillation (rescue death).

Frostbite to fingers, toes, nose and ears

  1. Do not rub numb, pale and hard areas, and do not rub them with snow
  2. Rewarm slowly against the rescuer's body or in lukewarm water (approx. 37–39 °C, body-warm – not hot)
  3. Do not open blisters, cover the affected areas sterilely and loosely
  4. Do not let an already rewarmed area refreeze – this causes additional harm
  5. Frostbitten feet: do not let them bear weight again – arrange transport
  6. Have every case of frostbite assessed by a doctor

Cold-water and ice-water shock (cold shock)

  1. A sudden fall into cold water (below around 15 °C) triggers an involuntary deep breath – anyone submerged at that moment inhales water
  2. This is followed by hyperventilation (gasping) and a steep rise in pulse and blood pressure – which can make you unable to swim
  3. The right response: do not panic, hold on to something or float and let the first breathlessness subside before swimming
  4. After the rescue, protect immediately from further cooling and watch for the onset of hypothermia
Caution: Cold shock can lead to drowning within the first minute – even before hypothermia sets in.

Falling through ice – self-rescue and rescue

  1. Self-rescue: stay calm, call loudly for help, turn towards the broken edge, hold on to the edge of the ice
  2. Push or roll flat onto the load-bearing ice, spread your weight over a large area and crawl lying down towards the shore
  3. Rescuing others: secure yourself first – never approach the hole upright, but lying down
  4. Hand over an aid (branch, rope, ladder, scarf) to keep your distance from the break
  5. Alert 144 – after the rescue, hypothermia remains a threat

Prevention in the cold

  1. Several layers of clothing («onion principle»), hat and gloves
  2. Stay dry – wet clothing cools you down many times faster
  3. Eat regularly and drink warm, the body needs fuel
  4. During a power outage in winter: set up one room as a warm base and use it together

Further sources

  • Rega Alerting in the field 1414
  • SAC Emergencies in the mountains
This content is for information only and does not replace first-aid training. We recommend a recognised first-aid or BLS-AED course.