Summer is fainally here and the one thing most residents look forward to is to cooling down in the pool or open water if they are lucky enough to go on holiday.
But for many this season could also end in tragedy and heart break as drowning are always a very real danger. Here are some tips from ER24 on how to prevent drowning:
Children
• Never allow a child to swim without adult supervision. Also, never leave youngsters unsupervised around water bowls or bathtubs for example.
•You can drown in approximately two centimetres of water.
• Ensure children wear a life jacket if they cannot swim.
• Keep your pool covered with an approved cover when not in use.
Safe swimming in open water:
• Do not swim too far out into the ocean. After a while, you may struggle due to fatigue or get swept away further due to strong currents.
• Wearing a life jacket is vital. Remember your life jacket when participating in water sports such as boating, tubing or rafting.
• When at the ocean, swim in designated areas that are supervised by lifeguards.
• Never swim alone.
• Remember that swimming in open water is not the same as swimming in a pool.
• Never dive or jump into unfamiliar or shallow water.
What to do if someone is drowning?
• If you are at the coast and you see a person drowning, alert a lifeguard immediately. If you decide to save the person yourself, ensure you wear a floatation device.
• If you find a person drowning and are able to get them out of the water, initiate CPR if there is no pulse and breathing.
• Do not stop CPR unless the victim starts to breathe on his/her own.
• Call for an ambulance as soon as possible and tell them what you are doing so they can send the correct level of care.
• Do not put the person in the car and drive to hospital. You may be involved in an accident due to panic or the victim may suffer brain damage while en route to hospital.
• In case of a near drowning, seek medical attention as soon as possible and explain clearly to medical staff what has happened. There are instances where secondary drowning occurs. This is more common in children than adults and may be difficult to recognise. The person may seem okay even though they have taken in water that finds its way to the lungs.
Do you perhaps have more information pertaining to this story? Email us at roodepoortrecord@caxton.co.za (remember to include your contact details) or phone us on 011 955 1130.
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