Most people who fall into cold water die from drowning and not hypothermia as commonly thought, researchers have found.

BBC: Cold water increases drowning risk

And there is cold comfort for die-hard rebels.

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Previous research suggests people who live in the coldest homes are three times more likely to die from cold-related illnesses.

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"The water is obviously icy cold and people can die of hypothermia very quickly or drown if they are caught under the ice, " he said.

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He had let him die with that cold desperate expression in his face.

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Right now, people think if they have a cough or a cold, they're going to die.

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Crabs and other marine invertebrates die when the water is too cold, because they cannot flush magnesium out of their systems.

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Most manatees die from collisions with watercraft or from "cold stress" in chilly waters, Baxter said.

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Deaths associated with immersion in cold water have been attributed to hypothermia, since many of those who die are judged to be competent swimmers.

BBC: Cold water increases drowning risk