By Leanne Shelton
With the summer swimming season upon us, it is important to follow proper water safety rules in order to be prepared and prevent a possible emergency situation.
- Adults and swimmers of all ages should swim with a buddy.
- Children who need a life jacket should only wear U.S. Coast Guard approved life jackets.
- Children should always be supervised while swimming, wherever they are swimming.
- Enter the water feet first to prevent serious injuries, including paralysis. Only dive into areas that are clearly marked for diving and have no obstructions.
- Do not drink alcohol while swimming.
- Test the water temperature before jumping in so as to not shock the body.
- Have a phone readily available in case of an emergency.
As we are spending time in and around the water, it is also important to be able to recognize when someone is in distress and needs help.
When someone is in distress or in trouble in the water, he or she may be treading water, holding onto a safety line or floating object, or may be trying to swim but doesn’t seem to be moving forward. A person in distress will still be able to call out or wave for help or respond to someone asking if he or she is ok.
In the event that you see someone in trouble in the water, there are things that you can do to help. The most important thing to remember is reach or throw, don’t go. Unless you are specifically trained and certified to help, do not go into the water to help someone in distress. You could be putting yourself into danger, and you could possibly even drown. The safest course of action for everyone is for you to reach or throw something. If you cannot reach or throw something, then get help immediately.
If you are close enough, it may be possible for you to reach your hand out for the person to grab. If you do this, make sure to brace yourself, keep low to the ground, and lean back so that you are stable and do not fall in. Have the person grab your hand and pull them to safety.
If you are not close enough, look for something long to reach out to him or her. This could be anything – a stick, a pool noodle, a branch, a belt, an oar, a fishing pole, a pool skimmer, a rake, a baseball bat. Again, when reaching an object out to the person, brace yourself, stay low, and lean back. After he or she has grabbed the object, carefully pull him or her to safety.
If there is something that is not long enough to reach the person, throw something that floats so that he or she may grab onto it and kick in to safety. Make sure the item floats and is lightweight so it doesn’t cause an injury if it happens to hit the person. Things that you can throw include (but are not limited to) a kickboard, a cooler with the lid on, a life jacket, a ring buoy, a beachball, a basketball, an inner tube or other floating device, a water jug.
If a person in distress in the water doesn’t receive help, he or she may drown. The signs of drowning may not be as obvious as you may think. When someone is drowning, he or she will be upright or vertical in the water, pressing the arms down at the sides, trying to keep the mouth above the water to breathe. He or she will be unable to move or tread water. A person who is drowning will not be splashing around or making noise. It will be silent. A person who is drowning cannot call out for help or respond to someone asking if he or she is ok. For a more thorough explanation of what drowning looks like, read the Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning story found on soundingsonline.com. If you see someone drowning, get help immediately.
For more information on water safety, contact Shoen Safety and Training. To learn CPR and First Aid and become American Red Cross certified, register for a CPR/First Aid class with Shoen Safety and Training. There are a lot of options available to fit your schedule. The peace of mind that you’ll get from knowing how to respond in an emergency situation is priceless.