Every parent should read this column! It may change your
perception about how children drown, and remind you accidents can happen when
no one is watching.
Drowning is silent. If
you are entrusted with the care of children, knowing the distress signs can
save a life. Drowning can be silent even when there is plenty of help around,
watching.
The day starts off like any other hot one. The sun is
shining, bags are loaded with pool toys and kids are greased up with sunscreen.
Most parents are eager for a little “adult” conversation
while their children swim. Like a distracted cell phone user, parents lost in
conversation can be a hazard as they trust that multiple adults present will
notice a struggling child. Unfortunately, this misconception can have
disastrous consequences and many drownings occur as a result.
Are you mentally alert on the job? Because if you are
watching properly, it feels like a job. Switch
from being a “corner of the eye” parent, instead keeping tabs on your swimmers and
actually being present in mind and thought the entire time. This is more work
if you are actively involved, and it doesn’t come easy. You have to make a mental and physical effort
not to get stuck in your phone, or grab for it constantly to take a
picture.
You would think there are obvious signs that signal a person
in distress in the water — such as splashing, screaming and thrashing about. This
certainly can happen, but report after report states the people around a
drowning victim didn’t know it was happening.
Drowning happens quickly — the larynx goes into spasms,
shutting off airflow and thus oxygen and leading to cardiac arrest.
Watch the following distress signs:
- A person who is drowning
cannot call for help
- People instinctively try
to keep what air is in their lungs — screaming expels that air. Also, she
said, most drowning victims inhale water very early on and are unable to
make a sound.
- A drowning person doesn’t
usually appear desperate.
- In the process of
drowning, a person stays in one spot in a vertical (upright) position.
All of the person’s effort goes toward keeping the nose and
mouth above water, which means he can’t move or propel himself out of danger.
That’s why people so frequently drown even though they are close to shore —
they just can’t get there. There’s also great fear, which is paralyzing in its
own right. Generally, once a person gets into trouble, you have 30 to 60
seconds before he or she goes down and doesn’t come back up.
First and foremost,
shout for help and do everything you can to attract the attention of a trained
lifeguard. Simultaneously, if possible, dial 9-1-1 or instruct someone else to
do so. Be aware that there are certain distinct dangers facing rescuers. The
sad truth is there are often not one but two drownings — the victim and the
would-be rescuer. A drowning person will instinctively do everything possible
to stay alive, often, tragically, trying to climb up onto someone attempting a
rescue and dragging the rescuer down. However tempting, unless you are certain
of your own safety, do not get into the water unless you have been trained in
how to safely perform an in-water rescue.
What you can do
safely, if no lifeguard is around, is grab a long stick or pole and extend it
for the drowning person to grab onto. Hold on firmly and pull the person toward
you, but don’t let the person pull you into the water. You also can grab and throw
something that floats (such as a raft, life jacket, donut life preserver or
even a beach ball or a Styrofoam cooler) to the person who is drowning,
providing something he or she can hold onto to get to shore or to the pool’s
edge. Assess the situation and, if able and capable, act immediately. Remember
to keep yourself safe.
Never assume that any swimming situation is perfectly safe —
stay alert and focused on what’s happening in the water and you may end up
saving a life.
Source: DisasterMom
