How to save a life from drowning
Each year, many lives are lost in Australia because of accidental
drownings. Drownings have become a significant public health risk even
though warnings are given on a routine basis. In most cases, the victims
are adults who are negligent and also children. Even so, every person is
at risk potentially. In order to reduce the chance of a drowning, there
are certain steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of a tragic death
by drowning. In addition, it is recommended that everyone learn the
procedure for saving someone from a potential drowning.
The best suggestion to save someone from drowning is prevention. For
example, if you have a swimming pool or a pond on your property, it is
recommended that you install some type of fence or other structure that
will keep children and other inexperienced swimmers from entering the
water and drowning. It should be known that children have drowned in
very shallow water, including goldfish ponds and kiddie pools. All of
these structures that contain water should be covered. If children are
allowed to be around outdoor pools, they should be accompanies by
adults. Also, it is advisable to not allow certain people to swim in
your pool or pond. This includes swimmers who are not very skilled and
also intoxicated people. It is also advisable to not swim alone, even if
you are an experienced swimmer. Unforeseen things could happen that
could cause even an experienced swimmer problems.
Prevention is the key to preventing drownings. Even so, there are
certain things that can be done to save someone who is in trouble in the
water and are at risk of drowning. The very first thing to keep in mind
is to remain calm. This will allow you to think clearer and to remain
focused on giving the person the help they need. If you panic, this
increases the chances you will make a mistake and that could be deadly
for the person in trouble.
If you are trying to help a person who is beginning to drown, you need
to tell them to also remain calm and that you are attempting to help
them. Do not delay in finding some type of flotation device that you can
throw to the victim. If you can not find a flotation device, you can
also look for another object such as a pole or rope. If there is simply
not an object that you can throw to the person in trouble, it is only at
that point that you want to enter the water. This is considered to be a
last resort because then not only is the victim at risk but now the
rescuer is also at risk of drowning. You should tell the victim to try
to float on their back and also hold onto you. If they can float on
their back, it will make it easier for you to assist them. If the victim
begins panicking and moving around violently, you will need to break
free from their grasp so that you can gather yourself and try again.
CPR - Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
Unlike on TV, CPR has a very small chance of bringing someone back to
life and those who do survive often develop serious complications.
According to real statistics, only 5-10% of people given CPR will
survive. The purpose of CPR is to keep the flow of oxygen to the brain
till help arrives. |
