07/20/2020
CAN YOU TELL WHEN A PERSON IS DROWNING? **Drowning is not the violent, splashing call for help that most people expect. It's not like in the movies!! Drowning is SILENT!!
***When they get quiet, you need to get to them and find out why.
This doesn’t mean that a person who is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble—they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the instinctive drowning response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long, but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, reach for throw rings, etc.
There are other visual cues to look for when trying to recognize a drowning person. They include the following:
- Head tilted back with mouth open
- Head low in the water, with mouth at water level
- Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
- Eyes closed
- Hair over forehead or eyes
- Not using legs
- Hyperventilating or gasping
- Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
- Trying to roll over onto the back
- Appears to be climbing an invisible ladder
**Invest in swim lessons. Ages 2+ (Adults too!)