What drowning isnt - a valuable article for people on the water -

[rwatson]

This was a real education for me - with summer coming on in the south.

Hope its interesting for others as well.


" They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine; what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not 10 feet away, their 9-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!”"

http://www.slate.com/articles/healt...o_know_when_someone_is_in_trouble_in_the.html

 

[hoytedow]

Thank you. I will post this useful and vital link elsewhere.

Happy New Year!

 

[daiquiri]

I worked as a lifeguard back in my university days, after having completed a 6-months course (some serious stuff with a lots of theory, practice and hard exercise), and have been involved in several similar situations. And it is exactly as described in the article. The victim goes down smoothly and in silence, with the body in vertical position, arms making very small and slow movements, legs nearly useless, the face and the mouth being the last to leave the surface in a desperate try to grasp that last bit of air before finally going down.
If the lifeguard and nearby persons are not focused and vigil, the whole event can go unnoticed in sometimes just 10-15 seconds time. Luckily (because it takes a dose of luck too), in each of these emergency events I had managed to notice the troubled person (mostly kids and teens) in time, jump in and get the person out of water. There was even no need for CPR or other emergency medical maneuvers.

A good remainder to always keep our eye on other swimmers too, even in our moments of leisure and relax, and be ready to help. One day we might be the ones in need and if others adopt this vigilant attitude, it might save our lives too.

Cheers

 

[erik818]

Thank you for the article, rwatson. I wouldn't have recognized the signs of drowning. Maybe I will now.
Erik

 

[capt vimes]

very good article - thank's rwatson!
at least now i have an idea, why all the adults then only 1 couple of meters away just did not get that i was in the stage of drowning:
http://www.boatdesign.net/forums/al...ings-learned-hard-way-40056-8.html#post638993