Being at the lake, children are often fooling around, splashing water, doing kicks in the water, if we do not know what to pay attention to, we may not notice that instead of having fun, our child is experiencing a real drama at the moment, fighting for life, and in addition in front of our eyes! We usually have 20 to 60 seconds for the proper response, so much the drowning person usually struggles to stay afloat, he falls imperceptibly to the bottom. We should not let the baby out of sight for more than 10 seconds, especially when you cannot hear him.
Uncontrolled, at first glance, accidental movements, immersion and emerging from the water, for a parent it looks like fun, for a lifeguard it can be a signal to start a rescue operation. We are taught from Hollywood productions that a drowner waves his hands and calls for help, in reality it is completely different. People drown quietly, without screaming and calling for help.
Bathing in water, especially when the heat can be felt, is an indispensable ritual during kayaking. There is nothing wrong with this provided you use common sense. It will also be useful to know how to recognize when someone is drowning. A person in need of help can be just a few meters from us, and we can save his life. See also what are the most common causes of drowning.
One of the most common myths is the drowning man’s call for help and waving to people on the shore. Let’s be aware that at the moment when a person is waving his arms in the film, in fact his or her hands are desperately trying to hold the body on the surface of the water. When a drowning person in a movie calls for help, he actually fights for every breeze. When sinking into the mouth and nose, water gets in, and the respiratory system loses patency, which effectively prevents shouting and calling for help. Remember that a melter can be up to a meter away from you. This facial expression is often one of the visible signs that something is wrong.
Not always uncoordinated movements or strange behavior may indicate that a person is in danger, but it is always better to swim and ask if everything is okay, than wait until the person disappears under the surface of the water. Failure to answer our clear question should already be an alarm signal.
Let us be aware that even a few minutes of lack of oxygen supply can cause irreversible brain changes. This, however, leads to permanent disability.
The main symptoms that may indicate that someone is melting:
- performs movements imitating climbing in the water,
- making chaotic movements with your hands from side to side,
- the body drifts on the surface of the water,
- head in the water, lips at the water level,
- arms outstretched on the water surface,
- empty, terrified look,
- glass or closed eyes,
- a melter usually rises just below the water surface,
- head tilted back and mouth open,
- closed eyes,
- attempts to swim on the back,
- hair falling on the forehead or eyes,
- legs do not work, vertical position,
- gasping for air,
- unsuccessful attempts to swim in a certain direction,
What to do when we see someone drown:
- alert that someone is drowning,
- call a lifeguard,
- call 112,
- help the drowning person by giving an object that he can hold,
- do not enter the water without outside protection.
When we see that someone is drowning, we alert the immediate surroundings, it is easier to carry out a rescue operation when more people are involved. Perhaps among them is a person with appropriate training. If there is a lifeguard, then he should first of all lead the rescue operation. Rapid provision of professional medical assistance may be of key importance, so we first call the emergency phone number, and then we proceed to the rescue operation, before the drowning person is on the shore, the rescuers will be on their way, which significantly reduces time. It is very important not to jump thoughtlessly into the water rushing to the melter to the rescue. Many times it ended in that the drowned man is saved and the rescuer drowns. Therefore, it is better to give a towel, branch or do so. Chain of people. This is a fairly quick and safe method of assistance. The main principle of rescue is: “A good lifeguard is a live lifeguard.”
Basic safety rules:
- Do not get into water after alcohol or psychoactive substances,
- Swim in bathing areas, i.e. places designated for this,
- Jump into the water only in the pool or places designated for this.
