On February 25, 2016 some people lost their lives when the boat they were travelling in capsized in Masinga dam, Machakos county.
When a person gets immersed in water, the body loses heat in the central body to subnormal temperatures, a condition known as hypothermia.
A boat may capsize when it is overloaded, when people stand on it and when it accelerates or decelerates suddenly.
When your boat capsizes, climb on top of the floating boat to get as far out of the water as possible. Water conducts away the heat faster than air.
When the skin comes into contact with water, it cools very fast. You are also advised to keep your head out of the water when you are inside.
Almost 50% of heat is lost from the head. Unless you are near the shore, do not swim. This is one of the greatest mistakes people make.
Swimming will increase your rate of cooling. Instead, stay still afloat with your face down. If you are lucky to get out of the water, wrap yourself with thick blankets to minimise heat loss from your body.