Argentina is possessed of a surface 2,701,800 km2 and an Atlantic coast of 4,697 km. The Paraná river has 4,800 km length and ranks eight among the world largest rivers. The Río de la Plata has 230 km in its outflow and drains an area of 4,333,400 km. Four hundred lakes are found in the Patagonian provinces of Neuquen, Chubut and Santa Cruz. A substantial percentage of islands are scattered in the cold Fueguinian zone. Ushuaia, the southernmost city of the world is located in the province of Tierra del Fuego. Separated from this last by the stormy Strait of Le Maire we can find the legendary Isla de los Estados (485 km2 ). During the 18 and 19th centuries up to nine ships per year wrecked near its treacherous coasts, especially in the north-east and south-west areas. Many ships burned in the cold waters of Cape Horn when wheat had spontaneous combustion in the holds. Four hundred ships of different flags have wrecked in this area causing 10,000 casualties. In the summer of 1906 twelve ships sank with all hands.

About 35 per cent of the casualties due to accidental hypothermia observed between 1980-1988 corresponded to 5 to 14 years old victims. On December 10th, 1989 an accident took place between 11 AM and 3 PM at the 200 m deep Lake Yehuin, 60 km north of Tierra del Fuego and most of the crew casualties ( among them 8 children ) were most probably due to hypothermia.

Of the total amount of victims observed between 1980-1988, 24 per cent were observed in the littoral provinces ( Misiones, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Santa Fe, Chaco and Formosa ).

According to the Lloyd's Register of Shipping, between 1976 and 1991 there were 56 shipwrecks in the Patagonian coasts, 42 pecent were cargo ships. Fifty one percent of those shipwrecks took place in Autumn and Winter. We should be aware that the average surface water temperature in summer time near the southern tip of Tierra del Fuego is about 5,2ºC.

According to the Dirección Nacional de Estadísticas de la Salud, Ministerio de Salud y Acción Social de Buenos Aires there have been 417 casualties as a result of accidental hypothermia between 1991 and 1999.

On June 15th, 1996 I published a suggested scheme for dealing with victims of Accidental Immersion Hypothermia in Tierra del Fuego ( Accidental Immersion Hypothermia in the South Atlantic-International Review of the Armed Forces Medical Services-Vol LXIX, 4/5/6).

During 2003, I got in contact with Dipl-Ing Dr. Wolfgang Baumeier from the Lübeck University who shared my same interest in the issue. We decided to make a joint effort and that's how the Sarrrah project in Argentina was born.. I'm sure this program will help to save lives and enhance as well the historical bonds between our two countries.

Program for the SARRRAH project in Argentina

On treatment