Could you recognise the signs when someone is drowning? Having done my bronze medallion (surf rescue certificate), I’m pretty confident that I can help someone in distress in the water, but I just read a great article about drowning and thought that it was so relevant to what we as surfers and mums do everyday that I’d repost it here…
http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/
It talks about the Instinctive Drowning Response, which is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water and how it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them: “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare – you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents: children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.
With drowning such a common cause of death in our kids, I think its essential reading…
