It's summer, if unofficially. Pools are open, beaches are beckoning and people will drown. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drowning is the number two cause of accidental death in children 15 and under, placing it just behind motor vehicle accidents.
Having been a lifeguard for most of my life, I have rescued a fair number of victims from drowning, and I can attest to the fact that a real life drowning victim looks nothing like the way it's dramatized in movies or on television. There is little if any splashing, waving or vocalizing. It is, in fact, a deceptively un-dramatic and almost inert event.
More sobering is the following statistic (from the CDC): of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. And in 10 percent of those accidents, an adult will watch a child drown because they have no idea it is occurring.
I have rescued children who nearly drowned in shallow water within close distance of their parents. But I was able to recognize a swimmer in distress because I know what to look for. Here are some signs of drowning, courtesy of the American Red Cross:
The victim is most often in a vertical position in the water (if they were able to float they wouldn't be drowning)
The victim's head is usually low in the water and the mouth is at water level
The head tilted back with mouth open
Eyes are glassy, unable to focus or even closed
Hair might be falling over forehead or eyes
Victim not using legs
Victim might be hyperventilating or gasping for breath
Victim appears to be climbing an invisible ladder.
If you're interested in learning more about preventing accidental drowning, visit the American Red Cross, and consider training to become a lifeguard. It's a rewarding experience that might help save someone's life.
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