Summer is a time for vacations and relaxation on the water, but this fun time is associated with many dangerous situations. One of them is drowning. Saving a drowning person is exactly the situation when you need to act as quickly as possible. Any delay or inaction can cost a human life, and the timeliness of assistance is often more important than its quality.
More than 90% of victims survive if help is provided in the first minute after drowning. If help comes within 6-7 minutes, then the chances of survival will be much lower - 1-3%. That's why It is very important not to panic, pull yourself together and start acting. Of course, it is better for professional rescuers to provide assistance, but if they are not nearby, it is better to try to help to the best of your ability than to do nothing.
How to properly save a drowning person
If you see a drowning person, the first thing you need to do is call rescuers. You can swim to rescue yourself only if you are confident that you are swimming well and feel well. Under no circumstances should you swim at random and join the ranks of drowned people. It is necessary to swim up to a drowning person strictly from behind, so that he does not grab the rescuer in frantic attempts to escape. Remember, a drowning person does not control himself and can easily prevent you from swimming and even pull you under water, and it will be very difficult to free yourself from his convulsive grip.
If the drowning person has already completely immersed himself in the water, you need to swim to him along the bottom and at the same time take into account the direction of the current and its speed. When the drowning person is within reach, you need to take him under the armpits, by the arm or by the hair and pull him out of the water. In this case, it is important to push off strongly enough from the bottom and actively work with your free arm and legs.
Once you are above the water, it is important to keep the drowning person's head above the surface of the water. After that it is necessary to try to deliver the victim to shore as quickly as possible to provide first aid.
The concept of drowning and its types
In order to effectively provide first aid to a drowning person, it is necessary to understand what drowning is and what types of it doctors distinguish. Drowning is a condition in which the airways become blocked, preventing air from entering the lungs, resulting in oxygen deprivation. There are three types of drowning and they all have their own characteristics.
White asphyxia or imaginary drowning This is a reflex cessation of breathing and heart function. Typically, with this type of drowning, a very small amount of water enters the respiratory tract, which leads to spasm of the glottis and cessation of breathing. White asphyxia is relatively safe for humans, since the chances of returning to life remain even 20-30 minutes after immediate drowning.
Blue asphyxia is real drowning, which occurs when water enters the alveoli. Typically, drowning people have a blue tint to their ears and face, and their fingertips and lips are purple-blue. It is possible to save such a victim if only 4-6 minutes have occurred since the moment of drowning.
Drowning due to decreased function nervous system usually occurs after cold shock or while heavily intoxicated. Respiratory and cardiac arrest usually occurs 5-12 minutes after drowning.
Providing first aid for drowning
In the event of drowning, even if the victim is conscious and feels relatively well, An ambulance must be called. But before her arrival, you need to try to provide first aid to the victim, and the first thing to do is check his vital signs. If breathing and pulse are present, then you need to lay the person on a hard, dry surface and lower his head. Be sure to rid him of wet clothes, rub him and warm him up, if he can drink, give him a warm drink.
If the victim is unconscious, then after removing him from the water, you can try to clean his mouth and nose, pull his tongue out of his mouth and begin artificial respiration. You can often hear recommendations for removing water from the lungs, but this is not necessary; in most cases, there is either very little water or no water at all, since it has already been absorbed into the blood.
The most effective way Carrying out artificial respiration in the event of drowning is considered a classic “mouth to mouth”. If it is not possible to unclench the victim’s jaws, then you can use the “mouth to nose” method.
Carrying out artificial respiration
Typically, artificial respiration begins with exhalation. If rib cage rises, it means everything is normal and the air is passing through, you can make several blows, pressing on the stomach after each blow to help the air escape.
If the victim does not have a heartbeat, it is important to perform indirect cardiac massage in parallel with artificial respiration. To do this, you need to place your palm at a distance of two fingers from the base of the sternum and cover the second. Then press quite hard, using your body weight, 4-5 times and inflate. The speed of pressing should depend on the age of the victim. For infants, pressure is applied with two fingers at a speed of 120 pressures per minute, for children under 8 years old at a speed of 100 times per minute, and for adults - 60-70 times per minute. In this case, the sternum of an adult should bend by 4-5 centimeters, and in a child under 8 years old - 3-4 cm, in an infant - 1.5-2 cm.
It is necessary to carry out resuscitation until breathing and pulse are restored on their own or until undeniable signs of death appear, such as rigor or cadaveric spots. One of the most common mistakes when providing first aid is premature termination of resuscitation measures.
Usually, when performing artificial respiration, water is released from the respiratory tract, which got there during drowning. In such a situation, it is necessary to turn the victim’s head to the side so as to allow the water to flow out and continue resuscitation. If resuscitation is performed correctly, water will flow out of the lungs on its own, so squeezing it out or lifting the victim upside down makes no sense.
After the victim comes to his senses and breathing is restored, it is necessary to take him to the hospital, since deterioration of his condition after improvement is practically the norm for drowning. The victim should not be left unattended for a single minute, as swelling of the brain or lungs, respiratory and cardiac arrest can begin at any minute.
Some features of resuscitating drowning people (Video: “Rules for providing first aid to drowning people”)
There are quite a lot of prejudices and rumors associated with rescuing drowning people. We will remind you of some rules and features of resuscitation measures in case of drowning. It is important to remember these rules and use them in a real situation.
Resuscitation measures must be carried out even if a person has been under water for a long time. Cases of revival with complete restoration of the patient’s condition even after an hour of being under water are described. Therefore, if a person spent 10-20 minutes under water, this does not mean that he died and there is no need to save him, this is especially important when resuscitating children.
If during resuscitation measures the stomach contents are released into the oropharynx, it is necessary to carefully turn the victim to one side, trying to ensure that the relative position of the head, neck and torso does not change, then clear the mouth and turn it in initial position, continue resuscitation.
If there is a suspicion of damage to the spine, especially its cervical region, then airway patency must be ensured without tilting the victim’s head, but simply by using the technique of “pushing the lower jaw forward.” If this action does not help, then you can throw back your head, despite suspicions of spinal injuries, since ensuring airway patency is a priority action when rescuing unconscious patients.
Resuscitation efforts can be stopped only if the signs of respiratory failure have completely disappeared. If there is a violation of the respiratory rhythm, rapid breathing or severe cyanosis, it is necessary to continue resuscitation efforts.
At the first signals from the victim, you need to rush to his aid, but first assess your safety.
Relaxing near a pond if safety rules are not followed can result in drowning. This often occurs due to alcohol intoxication, damage to the spinal cord when diving in an unknown place, or due to reflex cardiac arrest. The first thing to do in case of drowning is to get the victim out and call an ambulance. But by the time the brigade gets there, biological death may occur. Therefore, in order to prevent a tragic outcome, you need to know how first aid for drowning is provided at the pre-medical stage.
The difficulties of providing emergency care lie in the fact that different kinds drowning. Before indicating the sequence of assistance, it is necessary to analyze the causes and mechanisms of development different types drowning.
There are 3 types:
True drowning
The true is divided into drowning in fresh water and in sea water. It develops when water enters the lungs, most often while swimming. When removing the victim, he often foams at the mouth. The most common type.
Asphyxial drowning occurs when ice or chlorinated water enters the trachea, causing a reflex spasm vocal cords– laryngospasm. This is how people who swim poorly or are intoxicated usually drown.
Syncopal drowning is when, when falling from a height, upon contact with cold water, a reflex arrest of the heart and breathing occurs. Clinical death occurs with all its signs.
We can say that this is the most favorable type of drowning, since there is no damage to the lungs from water. In cold water period clinical death may increase to 10-15 minutes. And children can spend about half an hour in clinical death.
Sudden exposure of the body to ice water when falling from a height can cause reflex cardiac arrest.
Help for true drowning
This is the most common type of drowning. Victims of drowning can include people who cannot swim or are intoxicated, as well as professional swimmers. Appearance the victim after he is removed from the water has specific characteristics:
- blue skin of the face and neck;
- swollen veins in the neck;
- pink foam from nose and mouth.
While in the water, for some reason, a person begins to drown. He tries not to breathe for as long as possible, which leads to blackout due to oxygen starvation of the brain. After this, the water in large quantities fills the lungs and stomach.
Regardless of whether the water is fresh or salty, it has a damaging effect on the lungs, destroying them. In true drowning, excess fluid enters the bloodstream and an overflow occurs. circulatory system, which the heart may not be able to cope with and will stop if this has not already happened at the time it is removed from the water.
Important! Only someone with lifeguard skills, a good swimmer and a good physical fitness can help a drowning person. developed person. An untrained and poor swimmer may drown along with the victim. Therefore, before jumping into the water you need to weigh your strength. If you are unsure of them, then it would be more reasonable to call someone for help.
First health care In case of drowning, it begins with removing the patient to shore. If the victim is conscious, then you need to be careful, since a person in panic can harm the rescuer. If the victim is unconscious, then when transporting him to the shore, you need to make sure that he does not go under water.
First medical aid for drowning begins with removing the patient to shore.
Important! As soon as it becomes known that someone has drowned or is drowning, an ambulance should be called immediately. It must be taken into account that bodies of water are usually located far from the city and emergency stations.
After delivering the victim to shore, you must immediately begin providing first aid. The main thing in rescuing a drowning person is to quickly navigate the situation, since every minute counts.
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
 | If the victim shows signs of life, it is necessary to urgently remove water from the respiratory tract. If the victim is unconscious, cardiopulmonary resuscitation should be started immediately. |
 | The easiest way to remove water from the stomach is to hang the victim over the knee and use your fingers to press on the root of his tongue. If vomiting water mixed with food and coughing occurs, then you need to continue actions until the water completely leaves the stomach and lungs. |
| Even if you succeed in inducing a gag reflex, you need to be prepared that the person’s heart will stop. |
 | The absence of pulsation indicates cardiac arrest. To start it, you need to perform an indirect cardiac massage. · arms straightened at the elbows with palms in the middle of the sternum; · We perform compressions at a frequency of 100 per minute, pressing to a depth of 4-5 cm. |
 | It is possible to perform artificial respiration on a drowned person, but if there are no means of protection, it is not recommended, since during compressions water from the lungs and stomach will drain from the mouth. |
 | We resuscitate the patient either until a pulse appears or before the ambulance arrives. |
 | After breathing and heartbeat have resumed, the victim should be placed on his side, |
| The victim must not be left unattended. Repeated cardiac arrest or development of pulmonary edema is possible. |
| If the heart stops again, cardiopulmonary resuscitation must be started again. |
 | Signs of incipient edema are: · wheezing when breathing, similar to bubbling water; appearance of pink foam; · breathing disorder. |
 | If there are signs of pulmonary edema, then it is necessary to sit the victim in a semi-sitting position. |
 | Apply tourniquets to the upper third of the thigh. |
 | Apply something hot to your feet. |
After everything possible has been done, you need to wait for the ambulance. It is highly undesirable to take a patient to medical institution alone without accompaniment V Racha.
Help with asphyxial and syncope drowning
Asphyxial drowning is characterized by laryngospasm, as a result of which a person cannot take a breath. Due to hypoxia, he loses consciousness and may experience cardiac arrest. With syncopal drowning, reflex asystole develops, that is, cardiac arrest.
The victim has a characteristic appearance:
- pale skin color;
- dry foam at the mouth, which is easily removed;
- lack of breathing and heartbeat.
Pre-hospital emergency care for these types includes the following algorithm of actions:
There is no need to empty the lungs of water, since there is none there.
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
 | If you spot a drowning person, you should immediately call an emergency team. |
 | Bring the victim ashore. |
| In winter, you should not waste time transporting the patient to a warm place; resuscitation should begin right on the shore. |
 | We free the chest from clothing, if any. |
 | Begin resuscitation of the patient: cardiac massage and artificial respiration in a ratio of 30:2. If there is no result, the victim must be resuscitated within 40 minutes. |
 | After vascular pulsation appears, you need to take the person to a warm place, change him and give him a warm drink. |
Important! Drowning in winter most often develops as asphyxial or syncope.
Cold water leads to a sharp inhibition of all metabolic processes in the body, so clinical death may not turn into biological death for a long time.
This means that in winter a drowned person, even after half an hour in the water, has a chance to return to life if first aid is provided correctly.
First aid for drowning in children
Parents should know a clear algorithm for urgent actions.
In children, drowning occurs more often in a swimming pool than in open water.
Helping a drowning child step by step:
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
 | At the first sign of drowning, remove the child from the water. |
 | Call an ambulance. |
 | If the child is unconscious, begin CPR. Small children need to perform it at a frequency of 100-120 per minute. In children under 8 years of age, 15 compressions are followed by 2 artificial breaths. In older children the usual ratio is 30:2. |
 | Indirect cardiac massage is performed by pressing the sternum by 2-3 cm. In adult children it is performed as usual with both hands, and in infants with two fingers. |
 | Artificial respiration is performed using mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nose techniques. |
| You need to resuscitate the child for at least 40 minutes, especially after removing him from cold water. A child's body is able to survive up to 1 hour of clinical death in ice water without disturbances in the central nervous system. |
| After breathing and pulse resume, you need to lay the child on his side and warm him up. |
How to provide first aid to an injured child is well shown in the video in this article.
Skills in providing emergency assistance in case of drowning are a guarantee of saving a person from death.
It is your direct responsibility to help a drowning person. In order for help to be effective, it is not enough to be able to swim; you must also know a number of rescue techniques.
SWIM TO A DROWNING MAN
Swim up to the drowning person quickly, but rely on your strength. Tired, tired, you are unlikely to be able to provide real help.
Swim up from behind, thereby depriving the drowning person of the opportunity to grab your hands or head. Only very good swimmers can disregard this rule.
First of all, strive to raise the victim’s head above the surface of the water, making it easier for the drowning person to breathe. Having received air, the drowning person stops making convulsive movements, which only complicate his rescue.
If a drowning person grabs your arms, legs or head, immediately take measures to free yourself.
When grabbing one of your hands, sharply turn your hand against his thumb and jerk him towards you.
If your hand is caught between two hands of a drowning person, act as shown here.
If both of your hands are grabbed, turn them against the thumbs of the drowning person and at the same time pull your hands towards you.
Before freeing yourself, inhale the air and move your entire body into the water.
The drawings show the basic techniques for releasing grips from both arms from behind, from the torso from the front and from behind.
In all circumstances, push the victim upward.
If you get tired and want to take a break, do not swim away from it on the surface, but leave by diving underwater.
Your task is to quickly deliver the drowned person to the shore.
CAPTURE AND TRANSPORTATION OF A DROWNING PERSON
Turn the drowning person's back to you, place your palms on the lower jaw, fingers on the drowning person's chin, without covering his mouth. Straighten your arms. Lie on your back and, using breaststroke, swim to the nearest shore. Keep the face of a drowning person on the surface at all times.
Another position is also suitable. Turn the victim slightly onto his side. Pass your hand over the armpit of the drowning person's upper arm. With the same hand, grab the hand or forearm of the drowning person's other hand. Turn yourself onto your side. Working energetically with your arms and legs, swim to the shore on your side.
WHAT TO DO ON LAND
If a drowning person loses consciousness, immediately upon arrival on shore, apply artificial respiration.Artificial respiration is performed by compressing the victim's chest at regular intervals 15-16 times per minute.
Contracting and expanding, it makes the same movements as during normal breathing. Swimming 100 meters in the free style is considered excellent if the distance is covered in less than 2 minutes 10 seconds, and good - if the time is 2 minutes 10 seconds - 2 minutes 25 seconds
Swimming in a suit is considered excellent if you swim 40 meters, and good if you swim 30 meters.
Long diving is considered excellent at 12 meters and good at 10 meters.
Swimming at a distance of 400 meters is passed after a thorough study of different styles.
You should strive to meet these standards, to minimize the time spent swimming any distance.
Each swimming lesson must be strictly regulated, since the load experienced by the body without habit is very high. A swimming lesson lasts approximately 45 minutes and consists of exercises on land (10 minutes), introductory exercises (30 minutes) and exercises to gradually reduce the load after classes in water - gymnastics (5 minutes).For non-swimmers, it is best to practice in a group. Under the guidance of an instructor, you will learn how to work your arms and legs on land using a bench or board.
Gradually, classes must be transferred to water, to a shallow place, no deeper than 1.4 - 1.5 meters. It is highly recommended to study footwork using the crawl and breaststroke methods, holding your hands at the side or sitting on the side of the pool.
When learning crawl style swimming while standing on the bottom, start by working with one hand. Later you will move on to mastering working with both hands. The next stage is the work of one hand in connection with the breath and, finally, the work of the hands and breath.
It’s very good if you have auxiliary equipment at your disposal: rings, belts, etc. They will support you on the water and give you the opportunity to focus all your attention on the correct functioning of your arms, legs, and breathing apparatus.
However, do not get carried away with unnecessary auxiliary shells. Once you feel confident enough, free yourself from belts, circles, no matter how good they are.
Drowning is not at all difficult, even for an excellent swimmer. And this happens completely differently than in cartoons, where a drowning character funny opens his mouth and jumps on the water, calling for rescuers.
In fact, it is human nature to drown quickly and silently. This happens even on crowded beaches, where there seem to be enough eyes to keep track of everyone.
Why do people drown?
The most obvious answer is because they don’t know how to swim, pretty stupid. A person who does not know how will not go into deep water and will generally try to stay away.
It is difficult to imagine a situation where a person who does not know how to swim swam out into the middle of the river and drowned there.
Much more common:
- Alcohol. Intoxication with it can push you to do the most illogical actions, and even in order to sensibly calculate your strengths, difficulties begin. You can bet with your friends that you can swim across this river, or you want to freshen up a little. In any case, alcohol is the cause of 80% of drownings.
- Natural hazards. Even a master of sports in swimming can get into a whirlpool, but swimming out of it, as well as overcoming a strong current, is very difficult.
- Hit. You can hit the bottom when trying to dive, a floating snag, or someone else’s elbow that turns up at the wrong time in the crowd. It happens that the blow is so strong that a person is no longer able to swim out after receiving it.
- Cramps. In cold water, with strong muscle tension, it is very easy to get it, but swimming using a cramped leg is simply impossible.
Types of drowning
- True. It is also called wet, in which death is caused by water entering the lungs. Filling the alveoli instead of air, it leads to rupture of blood vessels and the entry of water into the blood. Happens in three stages:
- Elementary. With it, a person remains conscious, is able to move, hold his breath under water and try not to swallow it. After first aid is provided and after the water leaves the lungs with coughing and the stomach with vomiting, there are no consequences.
- Agonal. At this stage, the drowning person loses consciousness. Movements persist, but are involuntary, water enters the lungs uncontrollably, there is a pulse and breathing, but they are weak. Without providing first aid and removing water from the lungs, the victim very quickly moves to the third stage.
- Clinical death. There is no pulse or breathing, the pupils do not react to light. It is possible to provide assistance only in the first minutes.
- False, it is also asphyxial. With this type, death also occurs due to water entering the lungs, but this is already caused by a spasm. The throat gap is pinched, blocking the access of water to the lungs, and the person quickly loses consciousness, after which he begins to sink to the bottom, and water seeps inside uncontrollably. This condition occurs with a sharp impact on the water, fear, shock.
- Syncopal, aka blue. Death occurs from cardiac arrest, and that from hypothermia and excessive effort. It is observed both in inexperienced swimmers who begin to panic and waste a lot of energy on chaotic movements, and in experienced swimmers suffering from heart failure.
How can you tell if a person is drowning?
Of course, there will be no loud screaming - in a state where you have to fight for every breath, most people cannot scream.
There will be no waving of arms or splashing - in the fight for life there is usually no time to create panic.
The signs are usually:
- The head is kept low above the water, the mouth is submerged and only occasionally rises convulsively to take a breath.
- A drowning man does not straighten his hair, does not swim away from one place, looks at one point - at this moment his gaze becomes “glassy.”
- Breathes with difficulty, trying to fall back or tilt his head.
- Paleness, with true drowning - foam around the mouth and nose.
There are other signs, such as convulsive breathing and chills, but it is simply impossible to diagnose them from a distance, that is, they will not help to understand that trouble is very close.
What to do on the water?
The biggest difficulty in helping drowning people is that a person reflexively clings to the rescuer, and if he is not experienced enough, he can drown both.
This happens unconsciously, so you should follow a few simple rules:
You should swim up from behind, so that the drowning person does not see that they are going to save him. There are three transportation methods:
Pull the drowning person onto his back, grab his armpits or head near the ears and pull him along, working with his legs.
Pass one hand under the drowning person's armpit, take him by the chin, fixing it above the water, and pull him along, working with his legs and free hand.
Turn the drowning person on his back, pass his hand under his armpit, take him by the forearm of his other hand and pull him along with you.
If a drowning person tries to grab the rescuer, you need to hold your breath and dive under the water, waiting until your grip loosens. There is no point in trying to free yourself from the grips by unclenching them - panic gives additional strength, and the struggle will take additional time.
If the drowning person has already gone down, you should take into account the strength and direction of the current, and dive. Having fumbled, you should grab the drowning person more tightly and push off strongly from the bottom in order to be on the surface in one movement.
What to do on land?
In this aspect, cartoons are somewhat more true to the truth.
Indeed, the victim will need artificial respiration, but first of all he needs to lay him down, remove vomit, silt and sand from his mouth, and listen to the pulse and breathing:
- If they are fully present and the person is conscious, you should lay him down so that his head is lower than his feet, remove his wet clothes, wrap him in a warm blanket and offer him a warm drink. Afterwards, be sure to call an ambulance - even if the victim looks good and feels the same, it doesn’t mean anything.
- If they are available, but the person is unconscious, you should bring him to consciousness with the help of ammonia and perform the already familiar actions - a blanket, a warm drink, calling a doctor.
If there is no breathing or pulse, you need to proceed to emergency rescue measures:
Removing water
First of all, you need to get rid of the water in your lungs. To do this, the drowning person is thrown over the knee to create a hanging position, and pressure is applied between the shoulder blades, while holding the head. If this does not have an effect, you need to stick two fingers into the victim’s mouth and press on the root of the tongue.
For an unprepared person, the simplest method is “mouth to mouth”. To do this, lay the victim on his back, throw his head back and begin to blow air into his mouth, while pinching his nose.
12-14 blows should be made per minute until the reflex starts and works on its own. If water that has not come out before comes out, the victim’s head will need to be turned to the side and his shoulder raised on the opposite side.
With it, you should place your palms on the lower part of the chest, one on top of the other, and rhythmically press on it with a frequency of 50-70 presses per minute.
If one person is providing assistance, there should be one breath for every 5 pushes. When the victim begins to breathe, you should immediately call an ambulance.
How to save a drowning person without going underwater yourself? Professionally trained specialists know everything about this, but unfortunately this knowledge is often not enough ordinary people. Let's look at all the intricacies of saving a drowning person.
We have all seen in films how a drowning person, waving his arms, jumping and gulping air, also tries to call for help. IN real life everything is completely different. The moment you begin to drown, panic comes to the fore, and self-preservation instincts bury themselves somewhere deep inside. In addition, a spasm of the throat may occur and interruptions in breathing may begin. Of course, no shouting: “Help, I’m drowning!” there can be no talk, and then all hope lies with those who remained on the shore. How to understand that a person in water needs help. There are several signs that will help you not to miss precious minutes and begin rescue efforts in time when a person is drowning:
- the head of a drowning person remains in one place for a long time, half submerged under water and only sometimes rises above the surface to take a breath of air;
- a person’s gaze is directed in one direction, his eyes are “glassy”, he does not react to hair that interferes with him;
- the hands are positioned horizontally on the surface of the water, the drowning person seems to be trying to push off the water with them;
- breathing is intermittent, the person tries to lean out of the water as much as possible or throw his head back;
- the skin of the face becomes pale, foam may come from the mouth;
- a drowning person will not respond to calls and respond to appeals to him.
In case of panic drowning, the first 30-60 seconds a person may wave his arms, scream and flounder, but after this time he will completely go under water. Having noticed at least one or two signs, immediately begin a rescue operation. In such a situation, even a second of delay will cost a person his life.
How to save a drowning person, basic rules of rescue
Correct and coordinated actions will help quickly save human life. If you are not a professional rescuer, you should know some rules of behavior in such situations. Never swim to help unless you are an ace at swimming yourself. So not only will you not help, but you yourself will go under water. Measure your strengths. Drowning, already exhausted, so he can’t help you in any way.
You also need to quickly navigate and find the point on the shore closest to the drowning person. Never jump into water in unfamiliar places. There is a risk of running into pitfalls. It’s better to enter quickly but carefully and then start swimming.
How to properly swim to a drowning person
The crawl style of swimming will allow you to quickly reach a person. The correct way to approach a drowning person is from behind, so you will protect yourself from his hands. Remember that the actions of a person who is fighting for his life are thoughtless and most often performed reflexively, so the rescuer needs to be as focused as possible and clearly follow the sequence of actions. First of all, dive in, grab him around the waist from behind and try to lift him higher so that he can inhale as much air as possible.
If a person goes to the bottom, you need to calculate the strength and direction of the current and dive after him. Having felt the body, grab it tightly and, pushing off from the bottom, emerge from the water with one jerk. It is ideal to take with you an inflatable ring, ball, swimming board or other object that floats well on the water. This way, the drowning person will be able to grab onto it, which will make it much easier for you to get back to the shore.
A fisherman's rescue during winter fishing is different from summer fishing. You can't approach him while standing. Lie down and crawl little by little towards the victim. Several people can be involved. People forming a chain while lying on the ice have a greater chance of salvation than one person. Give the drowning person a stick, fishing rod, net or other object at hand.
How to save a drowning person, capture and transportation
There are many ways to save a drowning person and pull him to shore. The choice depends on the specific situation, behavior and condition of the person. The two most commonly used capture techniques are:
- turning the drowning man's back to you, clasp his jaws on both sides with your palm, without closing his mouth. Straighten your arms and breaststroke towards the shore. When transporting the victim, make sure that his mouth and nose are above the surface of the water;
- turn the person on his side, clasp the upper arm of the drowning person by the armpit with your hand. Turn yourself on your side and use your legs and free hand to head towards the shore.
You can grab a person by the clothes or hair. Quickly determine the shortest route to land and stick to it. This way you will save a drowning person and avoid drowning yourself.
Techniques for uncontrollable grabs of a drowning person
If a drowning person grabs you, immediately take steps to free yourself, otherwise he may drown you. Push off, twist, try to dive. The life of him and the person being saved will depend on how quickly the savior frees himself. When you grab one of your hands, sharply turn it against the drowning person’s thumb and pull it towards you. If your hand is grabbed by two hands of a drowning person, pass yours under his hand and press your palm on his wrist. Before releasing, take in as much air as possible and try to get away from the attacker. When you need a break, do not walk away from someone drowning in the water from above; it is better to do it underwater.
How to save a drowning person on land, first aid
After the first part rescue operation done, and the victim finds himself on land in an unconscious state, it is time for resuscitation. The cessation of vital functions of the body occurs within a few minutes,
If a drowning person loses consciousness while still in the water, then resuscitation measures must begin there. Take the person in a comfortable position and inhale air through his nose, while closing his mouth. Your goal is to fill the lungs with oxygen until a reflex exhalation occurs and the person is freed from the water inside him.
It’s good if an ambulance or rescuers are waiting for you on the shore. Then all further actions to resuscitate the rescued person will fall on their shoulders. But there are situations when help has not yet arrived, there are no doctors nearby, and you have to do everything yourself. In this case, you can proceed as follows:
- get down on one knee in front of the victim, place him stomach down on your raised knee and open his mouth. Press your hand on his back so that the water he swallowed comes out;
- if a person begins to have a strong cough and vomiting, make sure that he does not lie on his back, otherwise he may choke;
- after the victim has gotten rid of excess fluid, lay him on his back and put rolled up clothing and your knee under his head, the main thing is that the head is slightly elevated.
The absence of a person's breathing and pulse for 2-2 minutes can lead to death. Immediately begin chest compressions and perform artificial respiration.
For artificial respiration, the person is freed from constricting clothing, placed horizontally and preferably on a hard surface. They place a roll of clothing, a small stone, their leg, etc. under the neck. The rescuer pinches the victim’s nose with one hand, and with the other, pulling down the chin, opens his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he exhales air into the mouth of the drowned man. If you see that the chest has risen, then air has entered the lungs. Continue the procedure every 2-4 seconds and take at least 25 exhalations.
In between artificial respirations, perform chest compressions. Performing it on a soft surface can cause liver damage, so the person should only be on a hard horizontal surface. Palms are placed on the chest in the area of the drowned person’s heart, one on top of the other, the fingers are raised up and do not touch the chest. Perform strong and rhythmic movements. When pressed, the sternum should move down by about 4 cm. The movements are performed using the body weight itself, and not the arms.
If you got hurt old man, then the pressure is performed at half strength, and if it is a child, then they press with their fingers. On average, you should get 15-20 presses in 10 seconds.
Resuscitation efforts continue until the person regains consciousness. Do not stop under any circumstances, even if it seems to you that it is pointless to continue. It happens that even after an hour of such actions you can achieve positive results.
Prevention of accidents on water
Any accident can be prevented. The same applies to drowning. The risk of going under water increases with the onset of warmer weather, when outdoor trips become frequent events. A good mood, a relaxed state, fueled by strong drinks, lead to carelessness on the water, and the risk of drowning increases significantly. Temperature changes can also be reasons for going underwater, when a person, having warmed up in the sun, suddenly plunges into the water and loses consciousness. If water is too cold, you may experience a cramp. To avoid drowning, listen to the following tips:
- When entering a body of water, do not swim too far. If this happens, and you understand that you won’t get back on your own, lie on your back, rest and call for help;
- Having decided to get to land on your own, give yourself as much rest as possible;
- If you don’t know how to swim, swim with inflatable flotation devices;
- do not let children go to the beach themselves;
- do not dive headfirst without knowing the bottom topography;
- It is not recommended to swim immediately after eating and especially after drinking alcohol;
- when resting on the mattress, make sure that it is not carried far from the shore;
- It is prohibited to swim near bridges, quarries, cliffs and in places with strong currents;
- Just in case, attach a safety pin to your swimsuit. You can use it if you suddenly have a cramp.
Remember that even a master of sports in swimming can drown. Caution on the water is not just empty words. Follow it, and then bathing will bring you and your family joy, not grief.