ReconRat Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Water safetyIf you've got kids, you should read this article.Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning...The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The King Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
216cityboy Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Good read. Which reminds me I need to learn how to swim. Just one of those things I never did as a kid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NinjaNick Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Just forwarded that link on in email. I had no idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gen3flygirl Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Very good read. I was a life guard for 5 years and only saw 2 people need to be rescued. I had no idea what was going on during the first one because everything seemed normal. the girl didn't realize the pool floor was movable and it was deeper than it was the day before, she took one step off the sloop towards the ladder and her head went under. The life guard closest to her realized what was going on and was about to jump in before anything bad happened. No more than 30 min later another kid did the exact same thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gen3flygirl Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Also keep in mind a lot of lifeguards are young. They can get certified at 15 so if you wouldn't trust them with your car why do you trust them with your kids life. Always keep an eye on what is going on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ReconRat Posted July 8, 2012 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 (edited) In Florida, some parents even go as far as taking classes in rescue swimming. Particularly in how to deal with an undertow or riptide. Even adults should swim well enough to rescue themselves if pulled out to sea.I've tried swimming back to shore against the tide, that was no fun. I've tried swimming back from about a half mile out after being stung by jellyfish. I wasn't real sure I would make it back on that one. Both legs and one arm were stung and a bit numb. Sort of swam back with one arm, it took a while. I had another friend snorkeling, get hit by a current where he shouldn't have been and pulled about two miles to sea. He swam back, he had flippers on his feet which helps a lot. There were even signs posted underwater warning him not to go any farther... which he ignored...edit: Also learned to swim straight backwards the way I came, when stung by jellyfish. If you turn, you get wrapped up and it's much worse. Edited July 8, 2012 by ReconRat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWing'R Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Damn good information to have. Posted to FB. Thanks Tom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheBrown57 Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Also keep in mind a lot of lifeguards are young. They can get certified at 15 so if you wouldn't trust them with your car why do you trust them with your kids life. Always keep an eye on what is going on.ThisA lot of kids I went to school with became lifeguards over the summer and lets just say I wouldn trust them as far as I could throw them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blitz Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 I was lifeguard for 6 years when on the swim team in high school and for a summer job for a few years after high school.When someone is in trouble on the water they come up and back down, no noise. Lifeguards call it "climbing the ladder". I've saved a couple kids at our local YMCA in trouble that were doing just that, at the bottom of a waterslide where they were not capable of touching the bottom.Keep an eye out for those "climbing the ladder" and if you see them in trouble your response should be "reach, throw, row, go".Never swim to someone that is drowning as the first response. They are in survival mode and will take you down with them. They will stand on top of your shoulders to get air....doesn't matter if it's your wife or best friend. It's an uncontrollable response to suffocation by water. So first try to reach to them with a branch or pole. If none are available find a rope to throw to them or a buoy or flotation device. None of those are available find a boat or raft. If all else fails....then swim to them but be prepared to grab them forcefully (we took water kung fu classes to control a combative drowning swimmer in the water) and tow them on their back with your arm around their torso and under an armpit to shore or the side of the pool. Remember: Reach, Throw, Row, Go....and be safe out there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anden Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Damn good info there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crb Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Shit I guess I should learn to swim. I can get by, but sure wouldn't trust myself to be a strong enough swimmer to rescue someone where I couldn't touch. I had a tramitic near drowning experience while swimming as a kid with family. I couldn't touch and was jumping up and down off thr floor to get air. I guess it wasn't near drowning, cause I wasn't out of energy to jump yet. I don't think my family realized I really needed help. I guess swim classes or in order before we go swimming with children in the ocean or like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chevysoldier Posted July 8, 2012 Report Share Posted July 8, 2012 Thanks. Definitely sharing this Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWing'R Posted July 9, 2012 Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 Never swim to someone that is drowning as the first response. They are in survival mode and will take you down with them. They will stand on top of your shoulders to get air....doesn't matter if it's your wife or best friend. It's an uncontrollable response to suffocation by water. So first try to reach to them with a branch or pole. If none are available find a rope to throw to them or a buoy or flotation device. None of those are available find a boat or raft. If all else fails....then swim to them but be prepared to grab them forcefully (we took water kung fu classes to control a combative drowning swimmer in the water) and tow them on their back with your arm around their torso and under an armpit to shore or the side of the pool. Remember: Reach, Throw, Row, Go....and be safe out there.^^^ So true. I saved a friend in trouble in high school in the hotel pool on a band trip to Florida. I didn't realize he was in serious trouble until I got close enough to him and he grabbed ahold of me and proceeded to shove me under and climb up me. I was able to kick him off of me and then grabbed him by the foot and pulled him to the side. Fricken crazy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbot Posted July 9, 2012 Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 recon rat gets award for most useful poster on OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
baptizo Posted July 9, 2012 Report Share Posted July 9, 2012 Excellent information to have and the add'l helpful comments are appreciated. I've had Lifeguard training in the past while I was stationed at Ft. Bragg since it was a requirement during the SFQC but I've never actually had to work as a lifeguard or save anyone. The information in that article is very helpful and a great reminder, especially around children.As a side note, we were also required to stay in the pool's deep end with our hands and feet tied up during a separate test while staying under water except to get air (it wasn't all that hard). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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