How to spot someone who is drowning

[Pepper2]

Originally Posted by Orangepeel

Something like this should be a sticky. If not in this forum I am sure the mods could pick an appropriate one, like Campgrounds perhaps.

I inquired and was told that although the subject is an important one, my "bumping" of the post to keep it hot is against the rules. Therefore, if no one chooses to reply to the post, it will become buried over time.(my words)

[beamisl]

I took lifeguard training a number of years back. They taught us (when going to save someone) that we should not make two victims. Both will drown. So what we were instructed to do was get within a five or six feet of the victim, go under and swim under them and come up behind them. Grab them from behind and start swimming for shore.

The reason why? If you approach them from the front, they will grab you to get above the water and make you go under. You will be fighting them instead of controlling the situation. They will then take you down with them. The instructor was very good at making you understand this by doing this exactly to you so you learned that you never wanted to be in that situation again.

Usually the victim will calm quickly when they are controlled and their face is above water and they can breath freely. It did it for me in training.

Safe swimming, Lynne

[Caveman CBB]

Thanks for the post. I added the links in this post to my facebook page so all my friends can see it.

[TonyDi]

Great post. I hope everyone watches this. Thank you!!

[Pepper2]

Your both welcome. I also showed it to as many people as I could.

[Pepper2]

Thanks TonyDi.

[Orangepeel]

Found out from a friend today that Search and Rescue was out on the Columbia River looking for a possible drowning victim. I don't think people realize how unsafe the Columbia around the Portland/Vancouver metro is for swimmers - fast current, lots of changes in depth because of dredging, etc. Couple that with people not recognizing the signs of drowning and you have a sad situation like yesterdays.

[Pepper2]

Thanks for the head's up on the Columbia river around Portland.

[Pepper2]

It's amazing how many people were shocked after viewing this video. I keep hearing "I never would have known". Well worth watching.

[Pepper2]

Over 700 views so far. Sure wish more people would reply to keep this a current post.

[Clay L]

The video is similar to the one shown in my Padi Rescue Diver training. When I saw a lady that was about to drown she behaved as the video indicated.
She jumped overboard from the dive boat to retrieve a camera.
She had removed all of her dive gear and for some reason panicked when she hit the water. One of the requirements for scuba certification is to tread water for ten minutes so she should have had no problem.

Panic attacks kill more divers than any other thing. Equipment failures are rare and almost always survivable if you don't panic.

I was on my way up from 30 feet to get her but the dive master saw what was going on, jumped into the water and saved her.

[Pepper2]

I had a regulator malfunction 40 yrs. ago. I was scared to death, but made it to the surface. Unfortunately the mask did not.

[Pepper2]

Originally Posted by Pepper2

Instinctive Drowning Response.)

I had no idea what to look for. Great info..

Without an occasional posted reply this very important info will be buried behind newer posts. I wish every member has a chance to view this video. So far over 800 have!

[Shamrockken]

Bumpety bump. A worthwhile read for all of us. Thank you.