Hypothermia can kill, but that only happens in about 15 percent of cold water deaths. You have to have some form of flotation to get hypothermia, and it takes much longer than you think. ... Water temperature and body fat percentage are important factors when considering your risk for hypothermia.

How long will it take for hypothermia to kill you?

How Long Does It Take to Die from Hypothermia?: Hypothermia is a medical emergency caused by prolonged to very cold temperatures and your body temperature drops below 95°F/35°C. A person can die from hypothermia in as little as under one hour.

What happens if you survive hypothermia?

Heart and breathing rates slow down, accompanied by confusion and sleepiness. "Without rapid rewarming, your heart rate and breathing slows even further, leading to poor circulation to the brain, heart and extremities, which is fatal," Glatter said.