Drowning doesn't look like drowning

[canarybird]

This is a very important subject, especially here on the island where we are surrounded by water and beaches.

I didn't know this about the appearance of someone drowning and I bet most people don't either.

Watch the short video and then read the article on the second link.

And then do pass it along as this is the time of the year when these accidents happen.

It could save a life.

Video link (http://mariovittone.com/2011/07/video-of-instinctive-drowning-response/)

Article about drowning. (http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/family/2013/06/rescuing_drowning_children_how_to_know_when_someon e_is_in_trouble_in_the.html)

[marbro8]

This is a very important subject, especially here on the island where we are surrounded by water and beaches.

I didn't know this about the appearance of someone drowning and I bet most people don't either.

Watch the short video and then read the article on the second link.

And then do pass it along as this is the time of the year when these accidents happen.

It could save a life.

Video link (http://mariovittone.com/2011/07/video-of-instinctive-drowning-response/)

Article about drowning. (http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/family/2013/06/rescuing_drowning_children_how_to_know_when_someon e_is_in_trouble_in_the.html)
it did just look like he was lazily playing about:wow:

[kez1000]

Good post, never knew anything about this - could help save more lives.

[warbey]

Everyone should view this, at least once.

I was pushed into a Pool as a Kid. I couldn't swim and I still remenber being

helpless to do anything..

To Me the Kid looked exhausted, so Yes I knew something was amisss...

[Tickey]

He certainly looked to me like he was drowning

[canarybird]

Warbey...I had exactly the same experience. I was about 4 years old and was pushed into a large goldfish pond by a naughty boy of my same age. I couldn't swim and still remember the fish swimming past my face.

Luckily the woman who owned the house came out and found me, covered in fishpond green slime, and carried me home.

I've never been a good swimmer since, as I still remember the panic I was in.

[its not me]

excellent work canarybird

[Margaretta]

Thank you so much for bringing this to our attention Canarybird. It could happen in a pool too. Your story is chilling and we filled in our pond for that reason when our daughter was born.
It was interesting that the lifeguard held the boy aloft which was of course the right thing to do but he (the lifeguard) was a strong swimmer. If, like me, you can swim but not really well and you are in the unfortunate position of having to rescue someone, there is another way too if they are reasonably calm.
This is to cup your hand across the chin (not on the neck of course) and swim backwards behind and under them using your free arm and legs to paddle to safety keeping both your heads above water facing the sky. It is easier than trying to lift someone and paddle if you are not very strong, as the water will raise you both.

[deepdivejunkie]

A victim of a near drowning should always be admitted to hospital for 2 days of observation as any water, especially salt water can harm the tissue of the lung lining causing what is known as "secondary drowning". This could happen a day or two after the inicial near drowning. The casualty could therefore "drown" in bed.

[blueeyes]

hi canarybird just watching the harrowing drowning video, i know first hand it happened to me when i was in Cuba a few years ago.... just of a catamaran.. i was trying to get help and people on the boat were waving... really frightening experience but 2 lifeguards jumped in as they knew straight away io was drowning and saved me... i can tell now from what happened to me how easy it is to mistake someone drowning for some swimming...

thanks so much for the useful post hopefully this will save someones life...

[kubis8]

i was in crete around 5 years back on a lads holiday, not a clever idea but we went to the beach the day after an all night session and went in the sea, the sea is very shallow ( around chest height ) for around the first 100 metres out but then it suddenly shelves off and gets very deep, i obviously didnt realise this at the time so was pretty far out in the water, i didnt panic to much at first and just tried swimming back but the waves kept crashing over me and pulling me further out. Im not a strong swimmer and can only do breat stroke which was no good in this situation and everytime i tried catching some air the waves would crash down on me again, by this time i was maybe a good 30 metres away from my best freind and was trying to wave my arms at him and told him i was in big trouble but he just assumed i was mucking about, it was horrific and i was literally fighting for my life. God only knows how but a life guard at the very far end of the beach relised i was struggling and came out on a bodyboard and i think i can honestly say that that by the time i got to me i literally had seconds left or i would have gone under and that would of been the end, scary scary stuff. It hit me even harder when i landed back in britain and opened the newspaper a week later to read that a young couple in their early twenties had drowned in the exact same circumstances on the very same stretch of water. Somebody was looking down on me that day.

[kiwiphil]

I think everyone who goes to the beach should at least be a little comfortable in the water. One really important thing to know is that if you do nothing, you should float high enough to breathe.

Lie on your back, arch your back backwards, put your arms by your side and your legs together. And relax. Get someone to support you if you are not sure. But try it. You will be amazed. The key is to relax and arch backwards. Once you know that you float it all gets a lot less scary

It doesn't work on your front or if you are vertical, as your mouth will be under the water in these positions.

This works in the sea, but not in fresh water where the buoyancy is lower.

[deepdivejunkie]

Drowning Prevention Week in the UK, but same info applies everywhere.

http://www.drowningpreventionweek.org.uk/

[canary boy]

:titanic:does not look like los critianos beach are promoting drowning prevention week they havnt got any life guards