Emergency in the water
How they help drowning properly
Suddenly a person just goes down in the lake and then? What to do when someone drowns and how to prevent bathing accidents.
On hot summer days, many people in lakes and rivers cool off, but swimming trips always end. Not only does non -swimmers drown. Those who overestimate themselves, drink alcohol or when the circulation suddenly weakens are dangerous places. When people drown, it looks different than in Hollywood films.
How do I realize that someone drowns?
“Drowning often does not look like drowning. Often people swim quite normally, then they are suddenly gone,” says Horst Auer, German Life Rescue Society Bavaria (DLRG) to the “Bavarian Radio”. Drowning screaming for help or striking wildly. They lack the strength for that. Drinkers can stay on the water surface at most 20 to 60 seconds before the forces disappear completely and they go under, the DLRG local group Ubstadt-Weiher informs.
Signs of drowning:
- The head dipped again and again
- The mouth is at the level of the water surface and more often underneath
- The arms are stretched out on the side and paddles are helpless
- The legs are not used
- The breathing is accelerated
- The person moves on the spot
- Hair hang in front of your eyes and forehead and are not cut away
- The view is empty and unfocused or the eyes are closed
How can I help as a bathing guest?
Anyone who suspects that someone in the water is in mortal danger should immediately alert the emergency services under number 112. Rescue swimmers should also be informed on site as soon as possible. Important: Note the area in the water and describe the rescuers as precisely as possible.
Bavarian guests can throw up swimming objects to the drowning person like a life jacket or a lifeguard ring. But also throwing a towel or clothing into the water can make sense so that rescue workers can better find the drowning person in the river. As a bathing guest, you can also address the drowning and try to calm him down.
Drowning savings should only be really experienced swimmers. A seahorse badge alone is not enough. “The basic rule is: Your own hazard must be excluded,” Horst Auer from DLRG Bayern told Bayerische Rundfunk. “A drowning person grabs after everything that promises. Try to calm the person first and then bring them to the shore,” Auer continues. The risk that the drowning clutch clasps the rescuer and thus pulls under water would otherwise be great. When swimming back on land, it is important that the head of the person to be saved is kept afloat.
Rescue swimmers dominate various techniques to pull drowning out of the water. The simplest handles can also apply laypersons: when heading the head, the rescuers grab the head of the drowning with both hands without pressing the neck. With the armpit grip handle, it is reached under the armpits from behind. Both people are on the back. However, this only works if the rescuers are good back swimmers and the drowning is calm.
This is how you react in an emergency
Step 1: Get an overview
First you should address the person concerned and check the sign of life. Is the person available and breathes them? If there are several people on site, someone can also choose the emergency call here, while the other deals with the person concerned.
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What to do if the person has been brought to the shore?
- Check awareness: Address and gently shake your shoulders
- Check breathing: Overstretch your head, “hear, see, feel” for a maximum of ten seconds
- Breathing is normal: Bring the person in a stable side position. Check breathing until the emergency services arrive. Cover the person in cool outside temperatures to avoid hypothermia. In the event of warm outside temperatures, protect those affected from direct sunlight
- No breathing: Start with resuscitation measures immediately, i.e. cardiac massage and ventilation. Repeat until the emergency services arrives or the person shows life sign
How can I prevent bathing accidents?
Most people drown in Germany in rivers, channels and lakes, because the flow in the flowing waters are often underestimated. “With a view to the next bathing season, the DLRG calls to avoid these waters and spend the free time at guard bathing points,” Ute Vogt, President of the DLRG, appealed to the presentation of drowning statistics for 2023.
Swimmers should make sure that they do not overestimate themselves. If you want to go swimming, you should avoid alcohol and other drugs before jumping into the water. If you feel uncomfortable or start to freeze, you should leave the water. Long distances should not be swum alone. And: parents should not let their children out of their eyes – wing alone do not protect from drowning.
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Source: Stern
I’m Caroline, a journalist and author for 24 Hours Worlds. I specialize in health-related news and stories, bringing real-world impact to readers across the globe. With my experience in journalism and writing in both print and online formats, I strive to provide reliable information that resonates with audiences from all walks of life.
