Part 2 of two
According to National Safety Council data, drowning is the fourth-leading cause of death by unintentional injuries. In Utah it, too, is the fourth-leading cause of unintentional death (after motor-vehicle accidents, falls and medical and surgical misadventures). This holds true in neighboring states of Nevada, Colorado and Arizona. In Idaho, drownings are third-leading cause of unintentional death.
Two weeks ago, this column listed information about how to identify a person in distress in the water and the different types of drownings. This week will focus on rescue procedures.
Plunging into the water to save someone who is drowning or has apparently drowned should be approached with extreme caution. Few non-swimmers can rescue a drowning person; frequently both the person drowning and the would-be rescuer drown together. If you cannot swim, or if you doubt your ability to get the drowning victim out of the water, it is far better to summon help or try some other action other than immediately jumping into the water.
You can follow a sequence of rescue actions known as "reach-throw-row-go."
1. Reach — from a boat, dock, deck, shore, etc. Attempt to reach the person with a pole, tree limb or other similar object. Be care not to be pulled into the water.
2. Throw — from from a boat, dock, deck, shore, etc. Attach a long rope to a buoyant object, such as a life-jacket, life preserver, large empty plastic bottle, empty picnic jug, and throw it to the distressed person and then pull him or her to shore. If you don't have a rope, throw anything that floats out to the person. If you are not sure if the object will float throw it anyway!
3. Row — when it is not possible to throw something to the distressed person and a rowboat or other boat is available, row out to the victim as quickly as possible. Give the person a rope, life preserver or an extra oar to hold on to, and tow him or her to shore. Do not try to haul the victim into the boat, since doing so may capsize the boat.
4. Go — if you are good swimmer and trained in water rescues, you might try saving the the drowning person. However, there are many dangers in attempting such rescues: the victim could pull you under the water; you could become fatigued and exhausted; or currents in the ocean or river could pull you underwater. An extra precaution should you attempt this tactic is to take something that floats (e.g., inflated spare car tire) and push it out to the victim in front of you, let the victim take ahold of it and then tow the victim and the floating object to shore.
Once ashore, call for help as soon as possible. Know and use the local emergency medical service telephone number (usually 9-1-1).
If the victim was diving, water-skiing, or in a boat collision, there is a chance he or she has a spinal injury. Such injuries require special care in keeping the neck and back aligned while getting him or her to and onto shore. Trained rescuers are needed for such a procedure.
If the victim is breathing, lay him or her on one side with the head slightly tilted upward.
If the victim is motionless and does not respond, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) may be needed. Check to see if they are breathing by looking for chest movement. (Note: You can begin CPR in the water — one breath every five seconds for adults and one breath every three seconds for children. Chest compression while in the water are ineffective.)
Of course, the best remedy is prevention, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has issued safety rules for swimming pools:
Instruct baby sitters about potential pool hazards to young children and about the use of protective devices, such as door alarms and latches. Emphasize the need for constant supervision.
Never leave a child unsupervised near a pool. During social gatherings at or near a pool, appoint a "designated watcher" to protect young children from accidents.
If a child is missing, check the pool first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability. Go to the edge of the pool and scan the entire pool, bottom and surface, as well as the pool area.
Do not allow a young child in the pool without an adult.
Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
Learn CPR.
Keep rescue equipment by the pool. Keep a phone with emergency numbers nearby.
Remove toys from in and around the pool when it is not in use.
If you have a backyard pool, place a barrier such as a fence or wall, door alarms for the house, and a power safety cover over the pool. These may also be used to protect children from accessing hot tubs and spas.
Alton Thygerson, professor of health sciences at Brigham Young University, is the National Safety Council's first aid and CPR author and technical consultant. For more information, the National Safety council First Aid Handbook by Thygerson is available in local bookstores.