Water rescue: first aid for a drowning man

• 7/5/2023
• 1339 Views

How we can help in a situation where a person begins to drown and needs the help of another person?Moreover, after pulling a person out of the water, it is also necessary to provide him with first aid.

If you saw a drowning person, no matter how trite it sounds, you must:

• Pull the person out of the water;
• Call an ambulance;
• Provide him with first aid.

Pulling a drowning person out of the water.

A drowning person in most cases panics, does not hear words, and does not understand what is happening. He grabs for everything that is possible and this becomes dangerous for the person who wants to save him.

If the person is conscious, throw him a floating object (an inflatable ball, a board, a rope) so that he can grab onto it and calm down. Thus, you can safely pull it out.

If a person is unconscious or exhausted, while still on the shore, get as close as possible to the drowning person. Be sure to take off your shoes, excess clothing (or at least heavy ones), turn out your pockets. Jump into the water and approach the drowning man.

If a person has already gone under water, dive after him and try to see him or feel him.

When you find a person, turn him over on his back.

If a drowning person starts grabbing you, quickly get rid of his grip:

• if a drowning person grabbed you by the neck or torso, then grab him by the lower back with one hand, and with the other hand push his head away, resting on his chin;
• if grabbed by the hand, then turn it out and pull it out of the hands of a drowning man.

If such methods do not help to get rid of the grip, then take air into your lungs and dive, the drowning person will change the grip, and you will be able to free yourself from it at this time.

Try to act calmly and do not show cruelty to a drowning person.

Transport the drowning person to the shore.

There are several methods for this:

• from behind, grab your chin with your palms on both sides and row towards the shore with your feet;
• put your left hand under the armpit of the drowning person's left hand, at the same time, grab with your left hand also the wrist of his right hand, row with your feet and with one hand;
• take the victim by the hair with your hand and put his head on your forearm, row with your feet and with one hand.

When you pulled the victim ashore, urgently call an ambulance and immediately begin to provide him with first aid.

Get on one knee next to the injured person. Place him on your knee, belly down, and open his mouth. At the same time, press with your hands on his back so that the water that he swallowed flows out of him. The victim may cough and/or vomit - this is normal.

If the person is semi-conscious and is vomiting, do not let him lie on his back or he may choke on the vomit. If necessary, help remove vomit, mud, or other substances that interfere with normal breathing from his mouth.

Lay the victim on their back and remove any excess clothing. Put something under his head so that it is a little elevated. To do this, you can use his own clothes, twisted into a roller or your knees.

If a person does not breathe for 1-2 minutes, it can be fatal.

Signs of cardiac arrest are: lack of pulse, breathing, dilated pupils.

If these signs are present, immediately begin to take resuscitation measures - do mouth-to-mouth artificial respiration and chest compressions.

After breathing is restored, before the ambulance arrives, lay the person on their side so that they lie stably, cover and warm them.

If an ambulance cannot arrive, but there is a car, follow all the above points in the car while driving to the nearest medical facility.