Jean Hilliard collapsed outside after a car crash in -30°C weather. She stayed there for several hours before being found and although her heartbeat was brought down to 12bpm, she survived with only frostbite, which was treated with skin graphs. How the hell did she make it and how was her brain unaffected?
In: Biology
A lot of biological processes slow down in the cold. If the brain cells are less active, they are producing less waste, and consuming less energy and nutrients. This reduces the amount of resources they need, allowing them to survive on whatever the body is able to provide. However, liquids freezing in the cold can also cause significant damage (such as frostbite). It’s largely a matter of luck that everything balances out so that she survived.
I believe it was discovered that she had alcohol in her system. Alcohol has a lower freezing point than water, so it may have acted as a sort of antifreeze for her vital organs and prevented major tissue damage.
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