How to Prevent Drowning Accidents This Summer

Lifesaver launched a drowning man in the sea

With the warmer weather upon us, a dip in the pool sounds like a refreshing idea to many of us. With swimming likely fitting somewhere into your summer schedule, how can we ensure everyone has fun in the pool and the word “drowning” does not surface during your pool time?

Main Causes of Drowning

The main factor involved in drowning fatalities is an inability to swim. Drowning can also be the result of negligent behavior such as:

  • Leaving babies and young children unattended, even for a short period of time, around any body of water (i.e. lake, pond, pool or even bath tub).
  • Attempting to swim in poor condition (i.e. if you have recently consumed high amounts of alcohol).

What You Can Do to Prevent This

To prevent drowning from ruining your time in the water, make sure to implement the right safety precautions. If you are on a boat, you should be wearing a lifejacket in case of accident. Also, for all the parents out there, take proactive measures and enroll your children in swim lessons. Swimming lessons provide kids with the skillset to be skilled swimmers and confident in the water.

The Correct Response to An Active Drowning Victim

If you ever find yourself in a situation where an active drowning is taking place, appropriately responding could save a life. Here are the necessary steps to take. Active drowning involves the victim still being conscious; however, they are clearly struggling in the water and may be unable to call for help.

Assess the Situation. This involves identifying if the person is conscious or unconscious in the water. Also, quickly survey the surrounding area to see if there are flotation devices available to assist the person out of the water.

Call for Help Immediately. Regardless of your training, additional assistance is always a good idea; remember this person’s life could depend on it. At this point, emergency services should be called–especially if the individual is found floating face down.

Decide the Best Method of Rescue. If you are not a competent swimmer, entering the water to save another individual is not advised as you could end up endangering yourself. Read the following article for additional rescue methods that can be called upon in a drowning scenario: click here.