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December 14, 2010
Dramatic rescue in frigid water at Port
GULFPORT — Lawrence “Tot” Burkhalter, a 22-year veteran with the Gulfport Fire Department, was on duty Monday at the Central Station downtown when a call for help came from the Port of Gulfport.
A maintenance worker at the Port had fallen off of the south end of the west pier while conducting an inspection, and today, because of the swift response and clear decision-making of Burkhalter and the rest of the Gulfport fire fighters, the victim is in a hospital expected to make a full recovery.
“It was a fearless effort,” said Councilman Kenneth Casey, who was working nearby and became an eyewitness to the heroic rescue. “Our fire fighters got to the scene first and without giving it a second thought, Tot saw the man had drifted beneath a pier and was freezing to death. He grabbed a lifejacket and jumped in the water, in his t-shirt, boots and all.”
At the time of the rescue, the water near the Port was reportedly 48 degrees. An adult can expect to remain conscious for up to 35 minutes in water that cold, according to the U.S. Search and Rescue Task Force.
Cold water erases body heat 32 times faster than cold air, and immersion in such frigid water rapidly causes extreme loss of feeling in the extremities, rendering them useless. Cold hands cannot fasten straps on a lifejacket or take hold of a rescue line.
“Other guys who work at the Port tried to toss him some type of cord, but he couldn’t hold on,” Casey said. “He was going to freeze if the guys from Central Station wouldn’t have gotten there.”
Normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees. Hypothermia begins at 95 degrees. Consciousness is often lost at 86 degrees and chances of survival essentially become zero once the body reaches 79 degrees.
Burkhalter held on to the victim until a nearby boat from the Coast Guard arrived, and once onboard, medics found the man’s body temperature had reached a dangerously low 84 degrees. It is unknown how long the man had been in the water before the call for help was made.
“This was a very dangerous situation that had a very happy ending,” said Fire Chief Jimmy Donlin. “We were able to respond rapidly and we’re all very pleased to know the man is expected to make a full recovery.”
Office of Public Information - rlafontaine@gulfport-ms.gov - Phone: 228-868-5782
P.O. Box 1780 Gulfport, MS 39502-1780 - FAX: 868-5800
