For most people, going to beaches this summer is the best to consider to fulfill a best getaway. But summer could come very unpredictable while we are enjoying the fun under the sun. Such circumstances could instantly turn our best summer ever the other way around.
This is when we don’t know how to react on such situations. Drowning is just one of the unfortunate circumstances that could not just happen to our friends or family member but also to us while on a summer vacation.
But if you know how to save an active drowning victim, you could be a summer hero! Drowning could happen in the unexpected way in the least way you expect it. If you see someone. If you see someone extending hands on the surface of the water and unable to call for help, be sure how to respond immediately.
If you are prepared, you could make a great difference in someone else’s life. Here are the things that you need to consider:
- Identify whether the person is drowning
Those who are drowning would struggle calling for help. Their tendency is to thrash their arms. You should be particular of these signs before they could totally submerged in 20 to 60 seconds.
- An active drowning victim will bob in and out of the water with his or her mouth being just above the surface of the water. The person is not making forward progress either.
- Someone who looks as though they’re having trouble, but isn’t yelling for help, may not have enough oxygen to call out.
- Shout for help
Before you go into the situation in attempt to save the drowning person, be sure you let more people know about it. Disregarding your experience or training, be sure someone will be assisting you.
- Decide on best way to rescue the person
If you are an experience and professional swimmer, you might consider jumping straight into the person to save him or her. But be sure you look for some possible materials you could use such as ropes or floats. In rescuing, stay calm and focused. Your wrong move might also stress the victim.
In the absence of the materials you could use as rescue aids, the last resort you could do is to directly swim. But be sure you know what your swimming abilities could do over the situation.
- Dive with an aid
In diving straight to the situation, use a buoy on hand. While the victim’s reaction is to climb on top of you, flotation device will keep you both safe. In the absence of buoyance or anything that floats, go in with a t-shirt or towel that the victim can grab onto.
- Instruct the victim
While pursuing the rescue, giving the victim some instruction would help the operation easier. Instruct the victim to grab the shirt and avoid swimming right up for he or she might likely to push you under water. Keep a safe distance.
- Assess the person’s airway, breathing and circulation.
ABC stands for airway, breathing and circulation. After the successful rescue operation, make sure you determine these and make sure of these. Feel for a pulse on the wrist or the side of the neck for every 10 seconds.
- Starting a CPR
If the victim shows no pulse, CPR is the best thing you could do next. Place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest or place one hand on top of the other then start performing 30 chest compressions at the rate of 100 per minute. Press down about 2 inches by allowing the chest to rise completely between pushes.
Only give breaths if you are trained in CPR.
The successful operation lies with how well the rescuer is particular of himself, the person he is rescuing and his ability to do so, here are some other useful tips:
Tips
- You are the first priority. If you feel your life is in danger, remove yourself from the situation and reevaluate and then try the rescue again.
- When you get someone to the pool wall put their hands on top of each other and put your hands on top of theirs so they don’t let go. Gently tip there head backwards so their head doesn’t go into the water.
- Only enter the water if there is nothing around that could be used to reach the victim. Being in the water with someone in a panicked state, like a drowning victim, can be fatal to both the rescuer and the drowning victim.
- If the victim is panicking, it may be safest to take a hold of him/her from behind. If you try to take hold from the front, he/she may, in panic, grab onto you too tightly, thus pulling both of you under.The best way to get a hold of his/her hair or back of the shoulder-from behind. Do not touch his/her hands.
- Do not attempt a reaching assist from a standing position or you may be pulled into the water.
Source: http://www.wikihow.com/