Cold exposure is common in New Zealand’s outdoor environments - from rapid weather shifts to cold water exposure - and carries several risks. For those working in search and rescue, event coordination, health and safety, or healthcare, having a solid understanding of how to recognise and respond to the major effects of cold stress is essential.
**Get insights from world expert Professor Jim Cotter**
In the first part of this engaging presentation and Q&A session, Professor Jim Cotter - a world expert in environmental and exercise physiology from the University of Otago - will share key insights into the science behind cold injuries such as hypothermia and how they play out in outdoor and emergency environments.
His decades of research include a cold exposure experiment with filmmaker James Cameron, testing survivability following the sinking of the Titanic.
Professor Cotter will explain:
- What happens to the body in cold conditions - from the initial cold shock response to hypothermia
- Who is at risk and why
- What effective response and early treatment can look like in the field
- What does and doesn’t work in prevention
If there is interest and time, we can discuss the therapeutic effects of cold stress.
**Hear lived experience of cold exposure**
During the Q&A, Professor Cotter will be joined by Rob Creasy and Bethany Rogers.
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Rob Creasy is the Regional Manager - Southern at Coastguard Tautiaki Moana. He has a strong background in search and rescue, elite sport, and exercise science. Rob served in the New Zealand Defence Force as a Navy diver, trained as an infantry soldier, and worked as a Bridge Watchkeeper aboard HMNZS warships. He also held leadership roles as Officer in Charge of three warships under Logistics Commander (Maritime).
After leaving the military, he worked as a high-performance sports scientist preparing Olympic and world-level athletes. Rob is also a decorated multisport athlete with multiple age-group world titles in triathlon and long-distance events.
He completed a PhD in collaboration with Professor Jim Cotter, focusing on cold exposure and human performance. Rob will draw on both his own experiences and his work supporting and rescuing others in cold environments.
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Bethany Rogers is a Queenstown-based writer and adventure athlete. She recently competed as a Frozen Fern at the International Ice Swimming Championships in Molveno, Italy. Ice swimming must be undertaken in water colder than 5°C, and Bethany has just completed an Ice Mile (1.6km) at St Bathans. She is a local member of the Southern Lakes Swim Club, which swims year-round in Lake Whakatipu.
Bethany will give some insights into her response to cold water, and the warming-up process afterwards.
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Whether you work in the cold or support others who do, this session will leave you better prepared.
Free to attend - or donate to support Coastguard Queenstown!
Also check out other Sports events in Queenstown, Health & Wellness events in Queenstown, Nonprofit events in Queenstown.
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