‘It took over 4 hours to get up to a normal temperature’

When seasoned swimmer Michael got into difficulty, open-water safety training guided him – and his crew – onshore.

Many of us have been discovering the joys of winter dips lately. Michael’s cold-water odyssey started with cold showers and learning the Wim Hof Method of breathing. Now you’ll find him dipping in Scarborough’s North or South Bay several times a week. For Michael, getting into chilly water and warming up onshore boosts his circulation and leaves him feeling sharper in his mind. But on one occasion, he ended up getting much colder than he’d planned.

Michael takes us back to that January day, when the waves were higher and the current stronger than they seemed from shore. His story shows the small steps that can lead us into danger, and the many layers – training, experience, community – that keep us safe if things go wrong.