A PSA - do you know what drowning looks like?

[rubysoho]

http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/

The new captain jumped from the cockpit, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the owners who were swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not ten feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!”

[OakLeaf]

Wow, thanks for that. Not that I'm a strong enough swimmer to rescue anyone, but thanks.

After all these years, I now forgive the woman who yanked me by the arm from the bottom of the swimming pool where I was fond of sitting, as a child.

[owlice]

Thank you, Ruby. Valuable article, and I'm spreading the word in other forums and on Facebook.

[rubysoho]

Thank you, Ruby. Valuable article, and I'm spreading the word in other forums and on Facebook.

I read it this morning and had to repost it here. I had no idea it was such a silent event! And that so many children drown close to their parents because the parents aren't aware of what drowning actually looks like. It is heartbreaking....

[Kathi]

Thank you for this article,

This is exactly what happened to me at at a water park. We were in a wave pool and the waves pulled me into the deeper end of the pool. I struggled to get back to the shallow end, kept fighting to stay above water, couldn't yell for help. Fortunately, my SO was nearby, knew I couldn't swim, and was able to reach me and pull me to safety. It all happened so fast but I often wondered why the lifeguard, who was standing on the side of the pool near me, didn't do anything. I remember him looking at me then looking away.

Until I read this I didn't realize I was drowning.

[TsPoet]

While rafting with my mom and brother and friends years ago, my mom fell out. My brother was right there and did nothing. I was in another raft and we had to paddle really hard in the wrong direction through some rough water to get to her.
This was 20 years ago and she has never forgiven him. He had no idea, he thought floating (in a life jacket) through that water would be fun and just left her to it.
I wonder if I should forward this article to them, or let it go.

[lph]

Thank you for this article,

This is exactly what happened to me at at a water park. We were in a wave pool and the waves pulled me into the deeper end of the pool. I struggled to get back to the shallow end, kept fighting to stay above water, couldn't yell for help. Fortunately, my SO was nearby, knew I couldn't swim, and was able to reach me and pull me to safety. It all happened so fast but I often wondered why the lifeguard, who was standing on the side of the pool near me, didn't do anything. I remember him looking at me then looking away.

Until I read this I didn't realize I was drowning.

This gave me the shivers How terrifying.

I'm a strong swimmer now, but used to be pretty scared of water, and the idea of drowning still scares me a lot.

[grey]

Very good article. I was a weak swimmer as a child and had an experience close to Kathi's. I knew I was weak and always stayed close to the edges of the pool, but with all the splashing & playing I got a few feet away. Thankfully someone shoved me back to the wall and asked if I was ok.

[Melalvai]

My daughter just took the Lifeguard Red Cross training. The first day of it, she came home for lunch feeling pretty freaked out. She had learned that every year about 4000 drownings occur in life-guarded bodies of water. That most of the life saving techniques she was going to learn that weekend she would probably never have a chance to use, because if she was doing her job right--watching for a drowning before it becomes a drowning--she'll never have to use them. That lifeguards who had a drowning on their watch said "It happened so fast" and "It happened so silently".

I could tell she wanted to quit the training that day, out of fear for the possibility that someone might drown on HER watch. That does seem a heavy burden for a 16 yr old! She didn't quit, and passed all the tests except Deep Water Skills because the outdoor pool is getting repaired right now. So, soon she will be certified as a lifeguard! She probably won't have a job as a lifeguard this summer as she doesn't actually turn 16 until July, but maybe in the fall at the indoor pool, or next summer.

[Jolt]

My daughter just took the Lifeguard Red Cross training. The first day of it, she came home for lunch feeling pretty freaked out. She had learned that every year about 4000 drownings occur in life-guarded bodies of water. That most of the life saving techniques she was going to learn that weekend she would probably never have a chance to use, because if she was doing her job right--watching for a drowning before it becomes a drowning--she'll never have to use them. That lifeguards who had a drowning on their watch said "It happened so fast" and "It happened so silently".

I could tell she wanted to quit the training that day, out of fear for the possibility that someone might drown on HER watch. That does seem a heavy burden for a 16 yr old! She didn't quit, and passed all the tests except Deep Water Skills because the outdoor pool is getting repaired right now. So, soon she will be certified as a lifeguard! She probably won't have a job as a lifeguard this summer as she doesn't actually turn 16 until July, but maybe in the fall at the indoor pool, or next summer.

I'm sure she'll do just fine--she sounds like a conscientious person who will pay attention and prevent a situation from getting bad in the first place. Once she is 16 she will likely have no problem getting summer jobs--my experience was always that there were more places looking for lifeguards than there were lifeguards! In over ten years of lifeguarding (summers and part-time while in school etc.) I had to grab a few kids who got in over their head in the pool but no serious incidents.