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We've all seen Hollywood's version of drowning victims. They're the ones frantically waving their arm, desperately trying to get the attention of the lifeguard.
Real drowning almost never looks like that. If you see two people in the water, one flailing and shouting, the other not, it's a good bet that the one you should worry about most is the one who's not. That may well be the person who has already done everything in his power (the overwhelming number of drowning victims are male) to save his own life.
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Of course, the best way to avoid drowning is to do things right in the first place. That starts with having a personal flotation device (PFD) or lifejacket on your person, properly done up. If you're going out in a boat, ensure that it is properly equipped - bailing bucket, paddles, a marine radio, and sufficient fuel for your planned trip, including a reserve in case you encounter bad weather. Carry enough food and water for all passengers, and keep food in water-tight bags.
The Lifesaving Society has a website that offers expert information on water safety and drowning prevention. Visit them at www.lifesaving.ca.
Here is what you need to know if you come across a person who may be drowning.
Drowning can take seconds to occur.
If you encounter someone in the water who is in distress, your priority is to help them remain calm, and to get flotation material near them so they can assist in their own rescue. Don't enter the water unless you are a trained rescuer and a strong swimmer. Focus on having the person float on his back to increase his personal buoyancy until you can get him to the poolside or shore (those who drown are overwhelmingly males).
If you're out on the water, focus on getting a boat near enough to the person for him to hang on to the side while the boat proceeds to shore. If you are the only person in the boat, or if you're near shore, you should not encourage the person to get in the boat so as to reduce the risk of capsizing. Stay calm.
Those who are at the greatest risk of drowning may be physiologically unable to call out for help, or even to speak. That's because speech, compared to breathing, is a secondary body function. When the body is having trouble getting enough air for life, it is hard wired to focus on that task alone. If you're shouting, you're not breathing, so when you're most at risk of drowning, you're not shouting. You're not speaking at all.
A drowning person may not wave for help. When a person begins to drown, the instinct is to move their hands and arms downward to lift the mouth out of the water to breathe. Those who are drowning are usually unable to assist in their own rescue by moving toward a rescuer or grasping a piece of rescue equipment. Without assistance, they will continue to drown.
A drowning person will usually concentrate on keeping his head out of the water. The time above the surface of the water is not long enough to take an adequate breath. Their head may be tilted away from a position where they can see you. Even if they can see you, there may be no response to your presence. They may seem very calm and peaceful, with their facial expressions not communicating their level of distress.
Untrained rescuers can put themselves in peril trying to assist near-drowning victims, whose instinct is to breathe, at any cost. They will act on that instinct, without thought or regard for the safety of their rescuer. Since they are acting on instinct, you need to have a plan for how you will safely rescue them. And you need to think about that plan now, before it's needed, so that you know what to do when the time comes. Think CALM.
Call for help. Don't go it alone - you are going to need help, especially if the victim is not co-operative. If your cell phone works, use it to call for the assistance of emergency crews - police, fire, ambulance. Don't leave a drowning victim alone while you get help.
Assess the situation. Is the victim able to assist in his or her own rescue? Is a PFD or lifejacket on the person? Where is the nearest flotation device? Remember, a boat, canoe, or kayak will keep a person buoyant, even if capsized. Is there a long stick or other instrument nearby that can be used to move the victim closer to shore or the poolside?
Lead the situation. Until someone better trained than you comes along, take charge of the rescue. Don't let others imperil themselves. Ensure the rescue effort is coordinated. Defer to trained rescuers when they arrive.
Move deliberately. If you have a choice, don't enter the water without a helper, and never enter the water if you cannot swim. If you must enter the water to help the person, you need something, like a buoyant ring, that you can put between you and the victim so that you are out of range of the person if he panics. Speak to the victim calmly, communicating what you intend to do.
If the victim is unconscious, you need to get them out of the water and get them breathing. Sometimes a bystander will know more about how to do artificial respiration or CPR than you do - ask the question. Be ready to step back in if needed.
Once the person is out of the water and breathing on his own, get him to the nearest nursing station or hospital as quickly as possible. Ignore assurances that the victim feels fine - only a medical professional can make that assessment. Be sure ambulance crews know everything you do about the situation - when did you first notice the person in distress, how long were they in the water, did they lose consciousness? This is information that those who treat the victim need to know.
More Information
For more information on the Instinctive Drowning Response, read page 14 of the U.S. Coast Guard publication On Scene June 2006 found at http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg534/On%20Scene/OSFall06.pdf.
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