Be Sure To Act Fast For Near-Drowning And Drowning Incidents
Humanity has always been drawn toward the water for both recreational and commercial purposes. What summer when the weather is hot has not included a trip to the ocean or a lake to cool off in the water? Boating and water skiing are popular sports, and surfing is engaged in wherever suitable waves are available. However, the water can be dangerous. Swimming pools are responsible for numerous incidents, especially as concerns young children, and it is possible for these small people to drown in a bathtub or even a toilet bowl. People even drown during the winter when going out on ice that is too thin to support their weight. Unfortunately, over 3000 people drown every year in the United States. Most of the drowning victims are young males.
What Activities Lead To Near-Drowning And Drowning
One of the greatest factors in drowning is simply not being able to swim and then using water recreationally. Going into the water at all unless you have some knowledge of swimming is extremely inadvisable. Young children also drown because they are not being properly supervised. This often occurs at homes where there is a swimming pool or the home is adjacent to a body of water. Children have to be supervised at all times, a child can drown in less than 5 minutes, and can either suffer death or brain damage. Alcoholic beverages, especially when used by those boating, are also responsible for a number of drowning deaths each year. People who have been drinking are much more likely to have a boating accident and wind up in the water. Drinking is also more likely to cause a person to swim out of the range of his bodily strength and be unable to return to shore.
How To Tell If Someone Is In Trouble
Unlike the movies, real life drowning is ordinarily not very dramatic – in fact, it is often difficult to tell that the person is in any real trouble at all. This is because what is called the ‘instinctive drowning response’ goes into effect as the body attempts to prevent suffocation by water. A person who is in a near drowning situation will often have their head tilted back and be splashing down with their arms in an attempt to raise the level of the head. The drowning person is usually unable to shout or call for help. This person will not be able to move their legs. A real drowning is extremely un-dramatic and often goes undetected until too late. When near any body of water, keep an eye not only on the swimmers, but also on the bottom in case anyone is in a near-drowning or drowned situation.
What To Do
If there is no threat to you, get into the water to pull the person out. They may be completely unresponsive. Either call 911 yourself or have someone else do so. The first thing to check is whether the person is breathing; look for chest movement and place your face near their mouth to determine whether there is any breath. If you do not detect breathing, check for a pulse. If there is no pulse, begin CPR immediately with 30 fast chest compressions. Using both hands, press down on the breastbone, between the nipples, to a depth of 1 ½ or 2 inches. After the chest compressions have been given, if there is still no heartbeat, put the person’s head in the proper position by tilting back the head and lifting the chin, and then give 2 rescue breaths. Continue with alternating chest compressions and rescue breaths until the person begins to revive or emergency personnel arrive on the scene. Some circulation of blood must be restored so that the possibility of brain damage is lessened.
