Drowning information and video

[dmccarty]

Due to the news of the child that drowned on a cruise ship, I am creating this post about a video I saw last summer that was very educational about drowning. The child is rescued and does not drown but it is still tense to watch the video.

The video shows a child at a small wave pool starting to drown. The pool was full of kids and when the child starts to drown, none of the other kids reacted to the child struggling in the water. It took the lifeguard about seven seconds to see the child in trouble and go after the kid which is not a damning statement about the lifeguard. I was really surprised the lifeguard saw the child struggling as fast as he did because the pool was so crowded.

The following is from page 14 of a US Coast Guard publication: http://www.uscg.mil/hq/cg5/cg534/On%...e/OSFall06.pdf.

Characteristics of the Instinctive Drowning Response:
1. Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary, or overlaid, function. Breathing must be fulfilled, before speech occurs.
2. Drowning people's mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people's mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.
3. Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water,
permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.
4. Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.
5. From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people's bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.

Below is the video but before watching, go back and read the five behaviors to see how many the child does. I have tried to not leave any clues as to which child is going to get in trouble, so you have to watch the pool knowing that something bad is about to happen but you do not know to which child. You only know a child is going to get into trouble and then be rescued.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=L0KTqPloUiU

I counted seven Mississippi's from the time the child gets into trouble before the lifeguard jumps into the pool. Step 5 says one only has 20-60 seconds and it took the Lifeguard seven to jump into the water and a few more seconds to get the child. What was scary to me is that if the child had breathed in water, and sunk to the bottom of the pool, it would have been very hard to see the kid because of the number of people in the pool.

The child is surrounded by other people, including another child who was playing with the kid who starts to drown and NONE of them reacted to the child. The drowning child's playmate just watched and did not know what was happening. Lifeguards who are supposed to know these behaviors, have watched people drown when they thought they were playing.

I made my kids watch this video a few times to understand how a drowning person behaves and looks.

Later,
Dan

 

[Liltx]

Yes, this is so contrary to what people think drowning is. Reader's Digest had an article a few summers ago. You really have to look for the quiet. Very scary, thanks for passing it along.

 

[cypressmom]

Thank you so much for posting this. Very informative.

 

[dmccarty]

Yes, this is so contrary to what people think drowning is. Reader's Digest had an article a few summers ago. You really have to look for the quiet. Very scary, thanks for passing it along.

Thank you so much for posting this. Very informative.

Welcome.

That video really was educational and showed how easy it is for a child to drown even when surrounded by people. The lifeguards really have a difficult job.

I have been reading/studying for a Disney cruise and I was shocked to hear what goes on in the pools on the ships. Disney needs to have lifeguards at the kids pools. Period.

Later,
Dan

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Welcome.

That video really was educational and showed how easy it is for a child to drown even when surrounded by people. The lifeguards really have a difficult job.

I have been reading/studying for a Disney cruise and I was shocked to hear what goes on in the pools on the ships. Disney needs to have lifeguards at the kids pools. Period.

Later,
Dan

They do. It's been reported on the recent cruises (in the last couple of weeks) that there are lifeguards at the pools now. As well as life vests available for those who want them.

 

[cypressmom]

They do. It's been reported on the recent cruises (in the last couple of weeks) that there are lifeguards at the pools now. As well as life vests available for those who want them.

Really? This is good to hear. I haven't seen it mentioned.

 

[Twofebboys]

And remember not every near drowning happens because of not being able to swim.

I was a lifeguard and swim instructor for years. I had two very close calls when I was a lifeguard. The first was a masters level swimmer that had a diabetic attack. She had no struggle at all...she was there then gone under water. I had to jump from the stand and dive in the water. She only had to be treated for the diabetic attack.

The second one was when kids were playing cross pool. One kid held another by the foot under water too long. I had to dive from the stand and broke his hold. The kid was panicking and I had to get him to the side. The kid that was holding got a long lesson about danger in the water.

So, be careful not every drowning victim shows the signs above.


7 seconds is really good for a crowded as it was. I bet the children around her were not strong swimmers either. They would not have been able to help her...she would have dragged them in with her even if they were strong swimmers. I loathed guarding in a public place like this because I didn't know my swimmers....meaning who was a strong swimmer and who was not, who had a parent watching and who did not, and who had a medical condition.

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[Twofebboys]

BTW, the second the person started having problems I knew which one it was. (Trying not to give it away) Also, would NEVER suggest to a child they try to save a drowning person in a situation like this. My boys are VERY strong and comfortable in the water. The only thing a child should use is their voice to scream "HELP!" If a child is the only one around tell them to use something like a stick while staying on land and say "grab the stick." Drowning victims are desperate and panicked...they can take an untrained child down. You could end up with two victims if a child tried to save the person in this video.

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[Plaid Princess]

They do. It's been reported on the recent cruises (in the last couple of weeks) that there are lifeguards at the pools now. As well as life vests available for those who want them.

That's good to hear about the lifeguards, but I hope parents don't opt for life vests over supervision. When I was a lifeguard almost every time I had to pull a kid out of the water, it was because they had a non-life saving flotation devise or weren't using they vest properly. Kids get overconfident with floatation assistance, and they try things they wouldn't if they were just relying on their own skill in the water. (Don't get me started on water wings! dde09)

 

[brianvdb]

They do. It's been reported on the recent cruises (in the last couple of weeks) that there are lifeguards at the pools now. As well as life vests available for those who want them.

This is great! I noticed the life vest stands on the 9/2 Wonder (Alaska) and was really pleased to see that Disney is taking positive safety measures.

 

[sewdisney]

Thanks so much for posting this. I did see the child in trouble but only because I was watching for the signs. Before I read the signs, I don't think I would have seen the child get in trouble. We are leaving for a cruise on the Fantasy in 17 days. I will be sure to keep an extra watchful eye on the pools.

 

[Bonniec]

Great video. Chilling!

 

[dmccarty]

7 seconds is really good for a crowded as it was. I bet the children around her were not strong swimmers either. They would not have been able to help her...she would have dragged them in with her even if they were strong swimmers. I loathed guarding in a public place like this because I didn't know my swimmers....meaning who was a strong swimmer and who was not, who had a parent watching and who did not, and who had a medical condition.

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Yes, I think the lifeguard did a great job reacting in seven seconds. It had to take him a few seconds to decide if the child was in trouble and not just playing. The important point to understand is that while the lifeguard's response was fast, there is not a lot of time to respond. It looked to me that the child only had another second or two before going under water and not popping back up. If people in tubes had then floated over the child, it would have been very difficult for the lifeguard to have seen the child.

Children should not be trying to rescue but they can recognize a drowning and notify an adult or a lifeguard. The playmate of the child that got into trouble saw what was happening but did not comprehend what was being seen. If the playmate HAD understood, the lifeguard could have been notified and it would have save precious seconds.

Later,
Dan

 

[Twofebboys]

Yes, I think the lifeguard did a great job reacting in seven seconds. It had to take him a few seconds to decide if the child was in trouble and not just playing. The important point to understand is that while the lifeguard's response was fast, there is not a lot of time to respond. It looked to me that the child only had another second or two before going under water and not popping back up. If people in tubes had then floated over the child, it would have been very difficult for the lifeguard to have seen the child. Children should not be trying to rescue but they can recognize a drowning and notify an adult or a lifeguard. The playmate of the child that got into trouble saw what was happening but did not comprehend what was being seen. If the playmate HAD understood, the lifeguard could have been notified and it would have save precious seconds. Later, Dan

I completely understand. But, just remember not all drownings happen like this. Also, remember swim lessons and even exposure to the water is not available to most.

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[wiigirl]

This is great! I noticed the life vest stands on the 9/2 Wonder (Alaska) and was really pleased to see that Disney is taking positive safety measures.