Hypothermia, paradoxical undressing and the Dyatlov Pass

Feeling strangely hot, some hypothermia victims remove layers of clothes before dying from the coldThe mysterious deaths of nine Russian hikers in Dyatlov Pass in 1959 has spawned many outlandish theories and a bad horror movie. Some of the victims had traumatic injuries. New research suggests these may have been caused by a slab avalanche that battered rather than just burying them.This theory does not account for why some victims died of hypothermia having fled almost naked from the campsite after the avalanche. However, an effect known as paradoxical undressing is well known in cold weather medicine and may occur in up to half of deaths associated with hypothermia. Snowbound victims remove coats, sweaters and even trousers before dying from the cold. Continue reading...