Many of us think we know how to spot a drowning person. After all, movies and TV have shown many such victims waving their arms and crying for help. But that depiction’s washed up…and dangerous.
“Drowning is silent. Drowning is not something that is associated with a lot of noise,” said Sabrina Hershey Black, aquatics instructor at the Eugene Family YMCA. She said a drowning person often lacks the energy to wave or yell, just trying to keep their head above water.
“And then if no one comes to their rescue, they're going to start to swallow water, it's going to go in their stomach,” explained Hershey Black. “If it goes on too long, it's going to go into their lungs and they are going to become what we call as lifeguards a 'passive submerged victim.'”
It’s also advised to throw or extend a flotation device to a drowning person. If you have to go in and try to pull someone out, it’s important to wear a life vest or something else for buoyancy, as a panicked swimmer may pull you down or injure you (not gratefully and calmly latch onto your hand, as often depicted by Hollywood).
“If you are someone who is trying to save someone who is drowning, and you have no flotation device, it's going to be very difficult regardless of the size of the person, regardless if it's a little two-year-old toddler or a 10-year-old kiddo,” Hershey Black said. “There's a reason that lifeguards carry lifeguard tubes, those lifeguard tubes are very buoyant. They're designed to be able to carry up to three people.”
Watching the water since 2020
Recreation officials want Oregonians to take a special pledge, to keep an eye on their kids as they swim.
Many parents and guardians assume if a community pool has lifeguards, then they’re free to stare at their phone or work on their tan.
Hershey Black explained keeping an eye out may make a crucial difference in your child’s safety.
“Lifeguards are doing their best. But if they're watching a pool full of 60, 70 kids, it may take them 30 seconds to spot an active drowning victim or a kiddo who has slipped under the water,” she told KLCC.
“If you're a parent and you're actively watching your kid, you may be able to say ‘Lifeguard, my child needs help!’ and get them help sooner.”
The Eugene Family YMCA launched its “Water Watchers” program in 2020, which requires people to sign a pledge to keep vigilant for trouble in the pool. It’s been adopted by the Veneta Community Pool, City of Eugene Recreation, and Willamalane Park and Recreation District, among others.
The Centers for Disease Control says nearly 800 American children died by drowning in 2019. And Oregon has one of the highest drowning rates in the U.S.
