Sunday, June 23, 2013

HOW TO RESCUE A DROWNING VICTIM



Stay Safe. Wear a personal flotation device if available. The most important thing to remember is not to become a victim yourself.

1. If the victim is conscious, try to reach the victim with something rigid enough to pull him or her back. An oar is a good option.

2. If nothing will reach, throw the victim a rope and encourage him or her to grab on. A life-preserver with a rope attached is a very good option.

3. If the victim is too far for a rope, then there are few additional options for untrained rescuers. If enough people are available, try making a chain by holding hands out to the victim. A rescuer may try swimming out to the victim, but follow these steps:

4. Tie a rope around the rescuer's waist before heading out to the victim and have someone on shore or on a nearby boat holding the rope.

5. Take a pole, oar, rope, or other object to reach the victim. Rescuers should not attempt to directly touch a panicking drowning victim.

6. If the victim is unconscious, take a boat to the victim or tie a rope around the rescuer's waist and let the rescuer pull the victim to shore.

7.  Once a drowning victim is safely out of the water, perform basic first aid. In cold weather, remove the victim's wet clothing - all the way. Cover the victim with a blanket and watch for symptoms of hypothermia. If the victim is not breathing, begin CPR.

Warnings
If you cannot swim, do not enter the water. Instead, there are alternative methods to rescue the victim. You can reach to them with a long pole, throw them a rope, or if some sort of boat is available, row out to them.

Only enter the water if there is nothing around that could be used to reach the victim. Being in the water with someone in a panicked state, like a drowning victim, can be fatal to both the rescuer and the drowning victim.

Do not attempt a reaching assist from a standing position or you may be pulled into the water.

If the victim is panicking, it may be safest to take a hold of him/her from behind. If you try to take hold from the front, he/she may, in panic, grab onto you too tightly, thus pulling both of you under.

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