DROWNING TIPS AND HINTS

Signs or behaviors associated with drowning or near-drowning:

 Head low in the water, mouth at water level
 Head tilted back with mouth open
 Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
 Eyes open, with fear evident on the face
 Hair over forehead or eyes
 Hyperventilating or gasping
 Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
 Trying to roll over on the back to float
 Uncontrollable movement of arms and legs, rarely out of the water.

Behaviors of Active Drowning Victims

 Actively drowning victims do not usually call out for help simply because
they lack the air to do so.
 It is necessary to breathe to yell. Human physiology does not allow the
body to waste any air when starving for it.
 They rarely raise their hands out of the water.
 They use the surface of the water to push themselves up in an attempt to
get their mouths out of the water.
 Lifting arms out of the water always pushes the head down.
 Head low in the water, occasionally bobbing up and down is another
common sign of active drowning.
 There can be splashing involved during drowning, usually a butterfly like
stroke where the hands barely clear the waters surface
 Sometimes victims can look like they are climbing an invisible ladder in
the water.
 DROWNING RESCUE

How To Rescue A Drowning Victim Without Water Entry

If the victim is in deep or dangerous If the water is too deep or dangerous to

water but there is a dock to stand on, try enter or if the victim is too far out to reach
a reaching assist with a long, strudy with a a long object, a throwing assist may
object be wisest

If the person in trouble in the water is very close

If the water is calm and shallow enough to the side, lie down on the deck or pier surface,
(no higher than chest) you can get into spread your legs out wide for stability, and reach
the water to reach the victim for them.

If no equipment is available and the victim is too

far away to reach by lying down on the pool deck, THIS IS TOTALLY WRONG !!!!!
you could hold onto something secure in the
water with one hand and extend your arm or leg DON’T EVER REACH THE VICTIM
to them. LIKE THIS.
THE LIFE JACKET

DROWNING TIPS AND HINTS

TYPE I
Off – shore Life Jacket. Designed to turn an unconscious
person in the water to a vertical or slightly backward
position. They have over 20 pounds of buoyancy. These are
the best PFDs to keep you afloat in the large and rough
waters where rescue may be slow in coming. There are
most commonly found on commercial crafts

TYPE II
Near-shore Bouyant Vest. Also designed to turn an
unconscious person to a vertical or slightly backward
position. They are less bulky than a Type I. They have a
minimum buoyancy of 15.5 pounds and are for calm, inland
water where there is a chance of fast rescue.

TYPE III
Flotation Aid. These are generally considered the most
comfortable PFDs. There are many sizes and styles for
different boating activities. Except for the Type III inflatable
life jacket, most are not designed to turn an unconscious
person face up.

TYPE IV
Throwable Device. These are designed to be thrown to
someone in the water. They include boat cushions ring and
horseshoe buoys. DO not wear them on the back. They are
designed to be grasped to the chest, not worn. Keep these
immediately available for emergencies.

TYPE V
Special Use Device. These are wearable devices approved
only for certain activities. The label shows its approved uses
and limitations. Varieties include work vests, board sailing
vests and white water vests.
If A Drowning Occurs:-

 Bystanders should immediately call for help

 The lifeguard should be called if present.

 If not, emergency medical services and paramedics should be

contacted as soon as possible.

 No person should attempt a rescue that is beyond his or her

ability or level of training.

Rescue Objectives:-

 Ensure your own safety first

 Bring the victim's mouth and nose above the water surface.

 Remove the victim from the water.

To approach the victim

 Approach the panicking victim with a buoyant object, or from

behind
 Twisting the victim's arm on the back to restrict movement.

 If the victim pushes the rescuer under water, the rescuer should
dive downwards to escape the victim.
 DROWNING TIPS AND HINTS

After Successfully Approaching The Victim

 Negatively buoyant objects such as a weight belt are removed.

 The victim is turned on his or her back.

 A secure grip is used to tow panicking victims from behind, with both
rescuer and victim lying on their backs, and the rescuer swimming a
breaststroke kick.

 A cooperative victim may be towed in a similar fashion held at the armpits,

and the victim may assist with a breaststroke kick.

 An unconscious victim may be pulled in a similar fashion held at the chin

and cheeks, ensuring that the mouth and nose are well above the water.

 There is also the option of pushing a cooperative victim lying on his or her
back with the rescuer swimming on his or her belly and pushing the feet
of the victim, or both victim and rescuer lying on the belly, with the victim
hanging from the shoulders of the rescuers.

 This has the advantage that the rescuer can use both arms and legs to
swim breaststroke, but if the victim pushes his or her head above the
water, the rescuer may get pushed down. This method is often used to
retrieve tired swimmers.
  If the victim has flotation device only one hand of the rescuer is needed to
pull the victim, and the other hand may provide forward movement or may
help in rescue breathing while swimming

DROWNING TIPS AND HINTS

DROWNING DEFINITION
Is death from suffocation caused by a liquid entering the lungs and preventing
the absorption of oxygen leading to cerebral hypoxia and myocardial infarction.

NEAR DROWNING DEFINITION

Is the survival of a drowning event involving unconsciousness or water
inhalation and can lead to serious secondary complications, including death,
after the event.

DISTRESSED SWIMMER

A swimmer in distress shows various degrees of anxiety or panic. Often he is a

poor swimmer who has gone beyond his abilities. He is no longer making
progress but is still able to struggle enough to keep his head out of the water.
He may call or wave for help. If he could level off and apply the same energy to
his swimming, he might be able to reach safety on his own. He may act on clear
instructions from a rescuer and reach for an aid as it is presented. Nonbuoyant
rescue aids, such as a shirt or rope, can probably be used. Once help has
come, the distressed swimmer may grow
The first step in The rescuer should remain alert and wary, however, for it may
take a long time for the victim to return to a normal state of mind and behavior.
The rescuer should avoid contact. The longer a distressed swimmer remains in
trouble, the more likely he is to show the symptoms of an actively drowning
victim. The timing of the rescue is therefore important, but the rescuer may
have several minutes in which to plan and give assistance.