As a result of Hollywood fiction, many people erroneously assume that someone who is drowning will scream loudly for help, frantically flailing limbs as he or she attempts to keep their head above water.
However, the reality is much different.
“Drowning is not the violent, splashing, call for help that most people expect,” reads an excerpt from an article released into the public domain called Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning.
The story recounts the tale of a couple at a beach who find themselves confused when a former lifeguard lunges into the water towards them. As the couple had just been splashing and shouting, they assumed he was coming to assist them and attempt to wave him off.
But instead, he barks at them to move and swims past them where not 10 feet away, their daughter was drowning.
“Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event,” writes Mario Vittone, who in 2013 retired from the U.S. Coast Guard. “The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life.”
Telltale signs a person is probably drowning include the following: head low in the water, mouth at water level; head tilted back, mouth agape; eyes empty and unable to focus; gasping; and appearing to climb an invisible ladder.
“Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface.”
This of course does not mean that someone who is thrashing and screaming for help is not in distress, but unlike a true drowning, a person in this situation can still assist in his or her own rescue, such as, for example, grabbing onto a lifeline or throw ring.
We felt Vittone’s story was worth sharing in conjunction with National Drowning Prevention Week, July 21-27 and after several recent drownings across the province. The Lifesaving Society has designated the third week in July to raise awareness about the issue.
Although the wet, rainy summer we’ve so far experienced has translated to higher flows on the Red Deer River and its tributaries, there were as of last week no advisories or warnings in our area according to the Alberta Environment and Parks website, rivers.alberta.ca.
However, we nevertheless implore everyone who plans to spend some time around the water to play safe and keep a watchful eye out on children. As the Lifesaving Society says, if you’re not within arm’s reach of a child, you’ve gone too far.
And remember that silence typically speaks louder in water emergencies; so don’t expect to hear shouts of help.
— Ducatel is the Round Up’s editor
