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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDrowning looks different than you think- Know the signs of drowning
Think drowning involves screaming, gasping, and flailing? Think it's easy to notice someone drowning? Well, you're wrong. Drowning is a silent killer. There's no waving or calling for help of any kind. It's not like what you see on TV. Many people would not even notice another person drowning at just 30 yards away. Read on for tips on how to keep yourself and those you love safe from this silent killer whether at the beach or in your backyard pool.
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Signs of Drowning
Watch for these signs the next time you're swimming with your kids or others:
Head low in the water, mouth at water level
Head tilted back with open mouth
Hair over forehead or eyes
Eyes glassy, empty and unable to focus
Eyes closed
Hyperventilating or gasping
Not using legs
Body is vertical and upright
Trying to swim in a certain direction but not making progress
Trying to roll over on the back
Stay Aware to Save a Life
Keep your eyes open for any oddities because even when things seem ok, they may not be. A good way to be sure is to ask your kid or the person you're swimming with if he or she is all right. If they are rather still, do not answer or have a blank stare, then you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them! As any parent knows, kids make noise in the water. If they are not making noise, find out why and get them out of the water ASAP.
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http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/drowning-looks-different-than-you-think-2010225.html
FYI
You may save a life.
JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)Many years ago, when my kids were very little, we were at the beach. My toddler son was just in the water, a couple of feet from shore and a small wave came and sort of washed over him. It was so weird, it was like he just instantly submitted to the water. Thankfully I had been watching, yelled something to my husband who just snatched him up.
If I hadn't been watching that very second I suspect this tale would have a very different ending.
Very good post, I hope it gets widely read.
Julie
tridim
(45,358 posts)And I sunk like a freaking stone, no drama at all.
My brother saved my life.
Thanks for the post.
Are_grits_groceries
(17,111 posts)our band took a trip to a music festival. At the hotel pool the 1st night, a kid who couldn't swim jumped in the deep end. He just stood calmly on the bottom. Somebody was paying attention through all the teenage noise and got him out. He was lucky!
He said he wasn't paying attention and thought it was shallower. Damndest thing I have ever seen. I was watching the hoopla from a window, but nobody could hear me.
lapislzi
(5,762 posts)She was a non-swimmer. She thought she was stepping onto the steps at the shallow end of the pool. She went straight to the bottom. Thank heaven my uncle was standing nearby and saw what happened. When he fished her out, she had no recollection of the event and couldn't understand why she was dripping wet and everyone making a fuss.
Since that day I have made it my business to be a reasonably strong swimmer and to keep an eye on the water at all times.
lapislzi
(5,762 posts)This should be front and center every summer. Thanks for posting.
badtoworse
(5,957 posts)I've had two experiences with people who were drowning and in neither case were they screaming or flailing. In one case, on the Delaware River, the victim was caught in the current and was trying to swim to our canoe. He was clearly exhausted and called once for help. We paddled to him and got him before he went under. The other time, the victim was a young woman swimming in deep water off my boat. She was a weak swimmer and was going under - I think she was too panicked to call for help. One of my friends saw what was happening and got to her as she was going under.
Tracer
(2,769 posts)... my husband and I were at a friend's cookout.
After swimming, the adults sat down at the picnic table a few feet from the pool and the kids were dressed and playing nearby.
Suddenly, I heard NOTHING. No kid noises is a huge red flag for mothers!
I glanced around and saw my son next to the pool, but not my daughter.
I beat the 100 meter dash to get to the opposite side of the pool, but my husband beat me to it by diving fully-dressed into the pool, and he pulled our little girl out. She was OK.
I still get the willies thinking about it because a minute's inattention could have caused a tragedy.