Drowning doesn't look like drowning

[Denim Deb]

After reading about SD's friend that drowned, I thought I'd post this. The information is very accurate and chilling. Years ago, a child across the street from me almost drowned, and this article describes what she did to a t. No one even realized that she was in trouble. If you spend any time around water, please read this! The information could save the life of someone you love.

http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/

 

[Wannabefree]

Thanks Deb, I take my kids to th lake often enough this is very good to know! Scary stuff!!

 

[sunsaver]

Scary stuff, but good to know. I'm an excellent swimmer, and i can also float on my back for hours. its tragic to think of someone drowning.

 

[valmom]

Really good information! My father was a Navy man and subscribed to the throw them in and they'll swim method. I didn't learn- I just panicked. I even took 3 series of lessons from the local Y. Then I discovered "drownproofing"- I don't remember where I heard/learned about it, but it is floating vertically and letting your head stay just under the surface, kick/stroke above the water for a breath, then passive again. It uses up no energy and can be done indefinately, unlike treading water. That knowledge that I wouldn't drown gave me the confidence to actually learn to swim.

http://www.drownproofing.com/#basic

 

[big brown horse]

Thanks for posting. (Didn't know about SD's friend drowning, so sorry to hear about that! )

My dad was also a NAVY man, in underwater demolition...aka old school frog man. Underwater swimming was the only way he taught us how to swim. He use to say, "Sal, the only fish swimming on the surface is a dead one." Anyway, we learned how to hold our breath for very long times via "practiced hypervetentilating". I was a lifeguard and even taught swimming lessons to children. yet I never learned the proper signs of drowning, so thank you! We swim all summer long at the lake, and all year long at the Y, I hope never to run into a drowing child/adult, however now I know what to look for.

 

[JRmom]

Really good information! My father was a Navy man and subscribed to the throw them in and they'll swim method. I didn't learn- I just panicked. I even took 3 series of lessons from the local Y. Then I discovered "drownproofing"- I don't remember where I heard/learned about it, but it is floating vertically and letting your head stay just under the surface, kick/stroke above the water for a breath, then passive again. It uses up no energy and can be done indefinately, unlike treading water. That knowledge that I wouldn't drown gave me the confidence to actually learn to swim.

http://www.drownproofing.com/#basic

Even though my brothers and I learned to swim at a very early age, my mother taught us this maneuver, just in case. She used to make us practice this so we would feel comfortable doing it. It's even very easy to do when you are in water a few feet over your head... just allow your body to sink vertically to the bottom, then push up to the surface, grab a breath, relax and sink again.

 

[hoosier]

Thanks Denim Deb and Valmom for your posts. They both contain valuable information.
I am a non-swimmer and terrified of water. I am going to try to learn this method.

 

[Neko-chan]

I think I'm physically incapable of sinking. Built in floatees.

 

[FarmerDenise]

I was a lifeguard as a teenager. But before I became one, I used to help watch a mess of children on a lake. One time we were sitting on the beach and the children were playing in the shallow water, when one of the mothers jumped up and grabbed her little child from the water that was only about 4 inches deep. He was face down in the water for a very short time. He was maybe around 3. She layed him face down over her lap and pushed on his chest, with her fingers in his mouth to make sure it was open. After a few pumps he spit up a lot of water, coughed and started to cry.
This woman knew what to look for and knew what to do for a small child. She had five kids and took them swimming often. She had made sure she knew what to do.
After that I took life guard training. The woman I babysat for also was a lifeguard and she tought me, then I took more classes. I did end up saving one little boy's life. But I tought lots of kids to swim and that was better.

 

[savingdogs]

Thank you Denim Deb for this very valuable post. My friend who drowned was a very strong 6 foot tall man, a police officer; he was an avid boater and a very strong swimmer and I'm sure he knew lots of safety techniques, he was an extremely intelligent and prepared man. On a day of 80+ degree weather, he went into the Columbia river which was at a high level and only 52 degrees. I imagine that he did not LOOK like he was drowning and he was with a friend who was not able to reach him in time, but he got separated from the boat by the tide. He is the last person I would have thought would have drowned so this article actually makes me have a better idea how this could have happened. The LAST person.

Here is a link to the best article about him I've found:

http://theloomisnews.com/detail/182744.html

There were probably 300 mourners there Saturday, thank you for sharing this.