What not to do when someone is drowning. What to do if a person drowns

1. Shout to a drowning person that they will save him now.

2. Look around for a life-saving device nearby. It can be anything that will increase the buoyancy of a person and that you are able to throw (lifebuoy, camera, rope).

If there is nothing suitable, without wasting time rush to help.

3. Take off your shoes, undress if possible or turn pockets inside out.

4. To a panicked drowning man it is necessary swim only behind without letting him grab your arm or neck. Take the drowning man by the clothes (preferably by the collar) or armpits, turn him face up so that he is above the water all the time. In this position, the victim should be brought to shore as soon as possible.

Sometimes it is possible to grab the victim by the hair, but wet hair easily slips out of the hands.

If the drowning one has captured you- take a breath and dive under the water, then the drowning person, trying to stay at the surface, will let you go.

! Do not stun the victim, because a conscious person is easier to bring to shore (he helps to keep himself on the surface).

To deliver the victim to the shore, use various tricks:

The lifeguard floats on its side:

With the help of leg movements and strokes of the “lower” hand, and with the “upper” hand, the rescuer holds the drowning person by the shoulder or forearm of the opposite hand, passing his hand on top of the victim’s hand of the same name and under his back.

The lifeguard floats on his back:

With the help of crawl leg movements, while the victim is turned on his back, the rescuer holds his chin with straight arms (in no case squeezing his throat!) or under the armpits.

Pulling ashore, examine the victim:

5. If a person is conscious.

It is necessary to warm the victim and calm:

take off wet clothes, rub with warm hands, change into dry clothes, give a hot drink, when excited - 25-30 drops of valerian tincture.

6. If a person is unconscious, but the pulse and breathing are preserved:

Lay the victim with a raised foot end, turn his head to the side. To bring to consciousness - to give a smell of a pair of ammonia. Remove clothing and rub vigorously to restore blood circulation, then wrap in warm, dry clothing. Introduce analeptics (cordiamin 1 ml, IM).

7. If a person is in a terminal state on the shore, deck or boat, it is necessary to clean the victim's nose, oral cavity and pharynx from sand, silt, mucus as soon as possible. Turn your head to the side and restore the patency of the upper respiratory tract with a finger wrapped in a napkin.

8. In the "blue drowned" (before starting resuscitation), you need to remove water from the stomach and lungs.

Sharply press on the root of the tongue, if the drowned person has vomiting and coughing, remove water from the stomach and lungs.

The victim is laid face down on the ground (a) or belly on the thigh of the rescuer's leg bent at the knee so that the head and shoulders hang down (b) and, with sharp jerky movements, compress the lateral surfaces of the chest for at least 10 - 15 seconds.

After removal of water in the absence of breathing and pulse on the carotid arteries, you should immediately start mechanical ventilation and NMS.

The “pale drowned man” can be revived faster, because their heart contractions do not stop (with laryngospasm). After being removed from the water, they immediately proceed to resuscitation measures.

After drowning in cold water, a person in a state of clinical death is in deep hypothermia. In the brain, as in the whole body immersed in ice water, metabolic processes almost completely stop. Low t environment significantly delays the onset of biological death.

9. After resuscitation, both the “blue drowned man” and the “pale drowned man” must be warmed up. Rub the whole body with dry warm hands or clothes to restore blood circulation, and then wrap in warm dry clothes, blankets.

10. Deliver the victim to the medical facility. If there was no intubation, it is necessary to transport the victim on his side with the head end of the stretcher lowered.

Last year I came across an interesting and useful link about how to identify (recognize, identify) a drowning person. I recently remembered it in connection with the hot weather that prevailed in the country in early July. I'll try to explain it the way I understand it. But first, food for thought.

From Belarusian statistics

In 2009 in Belarus drowned 838 people.
drowned in 2010 1231 adults(of which men - 90%) and 82 minors(boys - 72%).
Died in 2011 730 people(the lowest level for many years), of which only 320 - when swimming.
In 2012 (until July 8) in Belarus, from the ingress of water into the respiratory tract, died 336 people, of which 30 are minors. Rescued 326 people.

For comparison: in 2011 1,189 citizens died in road accidents in Belarus(in 2010 - 1.190). It can be seen that in some years the mortality on the water exceeds the mortality in road accidents.

Main cause of juvenile death - lack of proper control by parents and teachers.
Main cause of adult death- alcohol . More 60% drowned were in a state of alcoholic intoxication (in 2010 - 64%).

Here structure of drowning deaths in 2010(total drowned 730):

when swimming - 320,
when falling into water - 253,
when fishing from boats - 40,
when fishing from the shore - 55 (didn't you know that fishing is deadly?),
when taking a bath - 38 (a shower is considered more economical and safer),
in an accident - 12.

What does a drowning person look like

All of the above data is not a secret and is regularly published in the news. However, not everyone knows what a drowning man looks like. Loudly yelling "Save! Help!" and the waving man is just one of three options for a drowning man, which will be discussed next. But first, an instructive story (links to sources at the end).

The captain jumped into the water and swam as fast as he could. In the past, a lifeguard, he did not take his eyes off the drowning woman and swam straight to the couple, splashing between his boat and the shore.

“I think he thought you were drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had just splashed and she was screaming, but right now they were up to their necks in water on the shallows.

“What is he doing? We're fine," she said irritably.

"We are fine!" - the husband shouted to the captain, so that he turned around and swam back. But the captain continued to swim with all his might and only barked: “Out of the way!”, coming up with the stunned couple. Directly behind them, less than three meters away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. Above the water, safe in the captain's arms, she burst into tears, "Daddy!"

The captain from 15 meters understood what his own father did not understand from 3 meters. The captain studied at the courses of rescuers and had a lot of experience, and the father imagined drowning the way they show in the movies. Until the girl cried in the arms of the captain, she did not make a sound. In most cases, drowning is a silent process.. Yelling, waving arms and splashing are rare in reality.

Professional rescuers, as I read in LiveJournal, conditionally divide the state of drowning into 3 types:

panic,
silent drowning,
the instinctive reaction of a drowning person (in the slang of rescuers - “float” and “mu-mu”).

PANIC

Panic arises when you realize that you won’t be able to swim out alone (you run out of strength, cramped your leg, etc.). Sinking actively attracts attention loud shouting, waving of the arms or other actions.

Drowning in a state of panic easy to spot but hard to save. He is full of strength and at the first opportunity tightly clings to the rescuer, mistakenly believing that the rescuer cannot drown. Panic does not last very long and most often turns into " drowning man's instinctive reaction" (see below).

Rescue options:

quit Lifebuoy or other floating object(at least a board or even an empty closed plastic bottle from mineral water);
you can save a drowning person in a state of panic only if you have solid rescue skills (be able to swim up correctly and correctly perform a special capture), otherwise instead of one you will get two corpses.

SILENT DROWNING

Human suddenly goes under water and does not come up again. Occurs when sudden loss of consciousness or cardiac arrest, for example, in case of stroke (acute cerebrovascular accident), heart attack, heat stroke, etc. This also apparently includes diving in water in unintended places with a subsequent fracture of the cervical spine. If you are “lucky” and pulled out in time, you will remain disabled for life, if you are not lucky, you will drown immediately.

Silent drowning is extremely rare. Most often, divers from rescue stations are called to search for drowned people. If the body cannot be found quickly, it floats to the surface on its own after a few days. Unless, of course, crocodiles or sharks eat. Why does it happen? After death, the processes of putrefaction begin in the body; putrid gases, the stomach begins to bulge outwards. Normally, the density of the body is close to the density of water, and with the formation of gases in the intestine, the specific gravity of the body decreases, which, according to the law of Archimedes, leads to ascent. The higher the water temperature, the fewer days it takes for the body to surface.

If you really want tickle your nerves spectacle of floating corpses, you can search the Internet for the query " The horrors of the sacred river Ganges". In India, not everyone has the money to buy firewood and cremate the dead, so some of the bodies do not end up in the river in the form of ashes. What happens to them then - and can be seen in 22 photos. They are NOT for the faint of heart, so I don't even give a link.

INSTINCTIVE REACTION OF THE DROWNER("float" and "moo-moo")

These are varieties of one state, in which a person drowns silently. Not a single sound. Drowning people don't call for help because either can't breathe enough, or are in such a state that the world around them ceases to exist for them. In this state, drowning can stay on the water for 20 to 60 seconds and then go under the water completely.

Remember: 10% of children drown in front of parents who do not understand what is happening. For this reason, you need to know what a drowning person might look like.

State " Float". When water enters the respiratory tract, cough. The drowning man instinctively spreads his arms to the sides, tries push off the water and raise the mouth as high as possible above the water to cough up and inhale. But the more a person manages to pull his head above the water, the faster and deeper he then goes under the water again. Vibrations are obtained, like a float. The drowning man clears his throat, but he no longer has time to fully inhale and ends his breath below the water level. The process is repeated, each time more water gets inside. The duration of the “float” state depends on the physical abilities of the drowning person. He does not make a single sound, because there is no time even for a full breath, let alone scream and call for help, especially during times of stress, when the need for oxygen is sharply increased. The surrounding world for a drowning person ceases to exist.

State " Mu Mu"- the name emphasizes that a person drowns without sound, because there is not enough breathing and time for the sound. With the instinctive reaction of a drowning man cannot control hand movements. A drowning person is physiologically incapable of making meaningful movements such as waving your arms, moving towards a rescuer, or grabbing rescue equipment.

Please note that during the instinctive reaction of a drowning person the body remains upright in the water, without the slightest sign of supporting movements of the legs. If not rescued, a drowning person can survive in the water for 20 to 60 seconds before being completely submerged. Thus, able panic a drowning person will be able to grab onto a lifeline thrown to him, and in a state drowning man's instinctive reaction- No.

Lack of speech, visible leg movements, and meaningful arm movements are main features instinctive reaction of a drowning person, but there is additional:

Keeps head low in water, mouth at water level.
Tilts head back, opens mouth.
The eyes are glassy and empty, not focusing.
The eyes are closed.
Hair on the forehead or on the eyes.
Doesn't use legs stands vertically in the water.
Breathing very fast and shallow, or gasping for air.
Tries to swim in a certain direction, but does not move.
Tries to roll over onto his back.
Tries to get out of the water as if on a rope ladder, but movements are almost all the time under water.

Sometimes the simplest sign that a person is drowning is that he does not look like a drowning. It would seem that he is simply balancing in the water, looking at the boat. Want to know for sure? Ask if he's ok. If they answer you, everything is most likely in order. If the answer is silence and a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to save him.

And also, to parents: when children play in the water they make noise. If the noise has died down, come and find out why.

Safe swimming rules

swim only in designated places and equipped beaches(i.e. in proven places where there are no sharp bottom irregularities and whirlpools and there are rescue stations);
bathe only sober;
basking in the sun, enter the water gradually(otherwise reflex cardiac arrest from a strong temperature difference is possible);
you can't swim in a storm(the strength of the waves is enormous, and there is no quick and safe exit to the shore in a storm). Good advice - " estimate your strength, then divide by two»;
it is advisable to swim closer to the rescue tower(more chances that you will be noticed in time and will have time to get there);
swim with the company - of course, with a sober company! LiveJournal lifeguard advises leave one person on the shore who will look after all the others floating friends. This dramatically increases the chances of survival. He bathes himself later.

A person has sufficient buoyancy to ensure that the nose and mouth are above the surface of the water without much effort. Need take a deep breath- this will help increase buoyancy, and lie on the water, preferably on your back- it's easier to swim. After that, slowly swim to the shore. With calm swimming on your back, very little energy is spent and you can swim, albeit slowly, but far enough.

If you have a cramp - do not be afraid. If there is no pin in swimming trunks - it does not matter. Helps relieve cramps often stretching the contracted muscle with the opposite extensor muscle. It's painful, but effective. Apart from the pain from the cramp, in general, there are no problems. The cramp does not paralyze the whole body - which means you can row. You can swim on your back either on your feet or on your hands.. Try all this without extreme sports - you will see how simple everything is.

Healthy learn to swim on your back and generally stay on the water without the help of legs.

If your condition suddenly worsened and there is a risk of not swimming out, you need to attract the attention of others and rescuers as inappropriate behavior as possible. Waving your arms and foaming water is useless, better scream as loud as possible. The main thing - at the top of my lungs, until you are sure that it is you who is being saved. Do not be afraid that then you may be ashamed of yourself. In life, it is better to be guided by the principle " better to laugh at me than to cry later". Unless, of course, they find and identify.

For example, one man who dived and inhaled prematurely (before resurfacing) yelled in a falsetto, “ Ahh! They rape!”, thanks to which he attracted everyone's attention and was successfully rescued. There is a famous anecdote about a Georgian who forgot the word " Help and shouted Easter time swimming!».

About saving the drowning

On your own, without skills, it is very dangerous to save a drowning person far from the shore, therefore it is better to swim where there are full-time lifeguards. Even professional rescuers work with a partner - for safety, because this increases the chances of a successful rescue by 3 times. They recommend that others make a promise to themselves and keep it, that if your life is threatened, you will stop trying to save another person and make every effort to save yourself.

From the observations of the rescuer:

1. Coastal Rescue- the most common case. Most often saved children who were unexpectedly at a depth (for them). Such salvation justified and almost 100% successful, even with poor preparation of the savior.

2. Salvation at slightly greater distances, but still near the shore. It also has a positive trend, but here in 80% of cases the rescuer also swallows and swallows water. It is difficult to name the percentage of successful rescues, but the chances of becoming a “client for rescuers” increase many times over. There are frequent cases of drowning of the rescuer.

3. Rescue at a considerable distance from the coast - only a few cases can be called successful.

Having swum to the victim - “come in” from behind - in a panic, he will try to grab onto you.

Place the rescued person above you so that you float under him. Take him by the arm in the chest area, or if he violently tries to escape himself and climbs on top of you - you can also by the hair. Act according to the situation! The main rule is to keep his nasopharynx above the water.

Remember about yourself - if the victim in a panic grabbed you so that you cannot swim - bite him. The shock of pain will sober him up and force him to let go of his grip.

Used materials:

Drowning doesn't look like it - the main article is about what a drowning person looks like.
3 types of drowning from the point of view of the rescuer.
Rescuing drowning people is not only the concern of rescuers ... - from the recommendations of a former rescuer.
Why do people drown? How to be saved and saved? - from the recommendations on the blog of the Minsk Ministry of Emergency Situations.

It is dangerous to swim up to a drowning person - a person in a panic can pull you after him.

Do not let them grab you, transport the victim so that his airway is above the surface of the water. If the person delivered to the shore is in an unconscious state, it is necessary to free his airways from water. To do this, bend it over your knee, laying it on your stomach with your head down. Then shake a few times. A child or teenager can be taken by the legs and shaken head down. If the condition has not improved, it is necessary to carry out artificial ventilation of the lungs and chest compressions. Watch children especially carefully, because there are cases when kids choke on water even aground.

If you notice a drowning person

Throw a floating object to a drowning person, encourage him, call for help. When reaching the victim by swimming, consider the course of the river. If the drowning person does not control his actions, swim up to him from behind and, grabbing his head, arm, hair, tow to the shore.
On the shore, it is necessary to provide first aid, eliminate oxygen deficiency, and apply resuscitation measures.

While on the beach, do not forget about safety!

Violation of the rules of safe behavior on the water is the main cause of death of people (including children).

To avoid trouble, you and your children must strictly follow a number of simple rules of behavior on the water.

REMEMBER:

- You can swim only in permitted places and in the presence of adults;

You can not dive in unfamiliar places - at the bottom there may be sunk logs, stones, snags, metal rods, etc.

You should not swim in wetlands and where there is algae or mud;

You can’t swim far from the coast without calculating your strength, it’s dangerous even for those who know how to swim well;

You can not cling to boats, climb on the signs of navigational equipment, buoys, buoys, etc.;

You can not swim up to passing ships, swim behind the buoys and swim out into the fairway;

The ability to swim well is one of the most important guarantees of a safe holiday on the water, but remember that even a good swimmer must be constantly careful, disciplined and strictly adhere to the rules of behavior on the water. It is best to swim in specially equipped places: beaches, pools, baths; it is obligatory to first pass a medical examination and familiarize yourself with the internal regulations of the bathing places.

When hiking, you need to choose a place for swimming where there is clear water, a flat sandy or gravel bottom, shallow depth (up to 2 m), no strong current (up to 0.5 m / s). It is recommended to start swimming in sunny calm weather at a water temperature of 17 -190C, air 20-250C. You should stay in the water for 10-15 minutes, before swimming, you must first wipe the body with water.

When a swimmer's body becomes too cold in the water, cramps may appear that reduce the arm, and more often the leg or both legs. In case of convulsions, you should immediately get out of the water.

In June, not far from the village of Ulyun, Barguzinsky district, a teenager died trying to save his drowning brother. Swimming in the middle of the reservoir, the two youngest of the four brothers fell into a strong current. Seeing this, the older brother swam to their aid, but managed to save only one. The second was carried away by the current, after which, tired of fighting, the child began to drown. The second older brother, a 17-year-old boy, rushed to save him. However, both boys drowned.

How to prevent a tragedy on the water? What to do if you feel that you are starting to drown? How to save a drowning person? We will try to answer these questions.

How to prevent an accident?

First of all, you should not swim in places where the depth is more than 1.5 meters. With cramps or lack of strength, you can get on your feet and avoid an accident.
It is also extremely dangerous to dive in unfamiliar places - dangerous objects can be under water. The best rest is on a specially equipped beach, where the bottom of the reservoir is checked and cleaned and where there is a lifeguard post.
Do not leave children unattended on water bodies. Control the behavior of teenagers on the water: do not allow pranks related to diving and capturing swimmers, giving false alarms, and so on.
Of course, it is extremely dangerous to swim while intoxicated. As they say, "a drunken swimmer is a potential drowning man."
Do not get cold by being in the water for a long time to avoid chills and cramps. If your leg cramps while swimming, submerge your head in the water for a couple of seconds to straighten your leg and pull your foot strongly towards you by the big toe.

What to do if you start to sink?

First. Don't panic. Most drowning people make the fatal mistake of frantically beating the water with their hands and trying to take a breath of air. As a result, the forces run out, and the person goes to the bottom. Take in air into your lungs and relax your muscles, then your body will no longer sink into the water, even if you do not move your arms and legs.

You can also roll over on your stomach or back, spread your arms and legs as wide as possible and breathe without exhaling the air completely. With your hands, lightly rake the water under you and swim to the nearest shore.

Second. Call others for help - people on the shore, due to the long distance, usually do not notice the onset of drowning. If you are swimming with someone, try not to lose sight of them - you may not have enough breath to cry for help. This is especially true for children.

Third. With a strong current (when you swim in the river), you do not need to waste your energy fighting the whirlpool. Don't try to swim across the river. Move with the flow towards the shore - so you will have the strength to swim to the shore alive and unharmed.

Rules for rescuing a drowning person

First of all, you need to loudly and clearly shout to the drowning man that you are going to help.
The deadline during which a person can be brought back to life after the cessation of breathing and blood circulation is 4-5 minutes.
If you can swim, learn how to help drowning people. You need to swim from behind. It is best to grab a drowning person from behind by the shoulders so that he cannot cling to you and pull you to the bottom.
In some cases, it is allowed to bring a drowning person out of a state of panic with a few slaps in the face.
On the shore, call the emergency services and, if you know how to provide first aid, perform resuscitation. Remember to clear the nose and mouth of the victim from sand and mud, and then throw out the water from the stomach and respiratory tract.
Only after that you need to put the victim on his back, throw back his head and start doing artificial respiration, combined with an indirect heart massage. If possible, it is better to entrust this to specialists - rescuers or doctors.
Even if the victim is conscious, call the doctors, then offer him hot tea, cover him with a blanket - in some cases, those rescued already on the shore die from hypothermia.

Teach children the rules of behavior on the water;
Children can drown in less than two minutes even in small amounts of water - be sure to securely close wells, bathtubs, barrels, etc.;
Teach children to swim from an early age;
Children should know not to swim without adult supervision;
Be sure to use children's life jackets of the appropriate size - for all types of water recreation (boats, rafts, pedal boats, bananas, boats, yachts, etc.)

A drowning person behaves differently than they are shown in films - he does not wave his arms and shout: "Help!" This was told by the American rescuer Francesco Pia. He introduced the concept of "the instinctive reaction of a drowning man." It is indicated by the following signs:

His mouth goes under the water, then appears on the surface, but he cannot breathe and call for help. That is, they drown, as a rule, silently.
The drowning man does not wave - his arms are extended to the sides. He does this instinctively, trying to push off the water and float up.
He cannot make meaningful movements: grab the circle or reach out to those who have come to help.
While the instinctive reaction of a drowning person is manifested, a person is vertically in the water. It can stay on the surface for 20 to 60 seconds. And then it goes completely underwater.

Those who shout, call for help, wave their hands also need help. But this is a completely different stage - panic in the water. It may precede the instinctive reaction of the drowning person and usually does not last long. But in this case, a drowning person can still help his rescuers. For example, reach out to them or grab the circle.

It happens that the main sign that a person is drowning is his dissimilarity to a drowning person. It looks like he's just floating on the water and looking at you. Ask if he's okay. And if he doesn't respond, you have less than 30 seconds to get him out.
Mario Vittone, lifeguard

There are other signs that a person urgently needs help:

Head thrown back, open mouth.
Closed or glassy eyes that do not focus on anything.
Trying to roll over onto your back.
Movements reminiscent of climbing a rope ladder.

If you find a person with the instinctive reaction of a drowning man, you can not hesitate. For such cases, Francesco Pia developed a technique called Pia Carry. You need to swim up to the victim from behind and from below, clasp the waist with one hand, push the head and shoulders of the drowning person above the water, and row to the shore with the other hand.

How not to drown yourself

The body is lighter than water, so they usually drown when they panic. Try experimenting.

Immerse yourself at a shallow depth in the water, tighten your legs. You will feel the water pushing you up. Remember this feeling.

Roll over onto your back and relax. The head can be completely submerged in water. The main thing is that the nose and mouth remain on the surface.

Calmness is a guarantee that you, even without knowing how to swim well, will be able to stay on the water for quite a long time.

If you still panic:

Do not raise your hands up, do not beat them on the water. Move them in the very thickness of the water: in this case, it is easier to keep your head on the surface.
Move your legs as if you were walking down the street.
Take as much air into your lungs as possible as soon as possible. The body will immediately become lighter. And try to relax.

Things to remember when entering the water

1. Never drunk. Especially lying on mattresses or on inflatable circles.

2. Remember that during the hottest hours (from 12.00 to 16.00) in the water you can get sunstroke and lose consciousness. Don't take risks.

3. Do not swim alone, especially in unfamiliar waters. Let there always be someone nearby who will follow you and, if necessary, provide assistance.

4. If you have swum far and are tired, rest. Roll over on your back, relax, rest in the form of an "asterisk". After restoring your breath, slowly move towards the shore.

5. If you are carried away by the current, do not resist: wait until it weakens and slowly move towards the shore.

Very dangerous (rip current). They arise near the coast and lead directly to the open sea or ocean. Such currents can be carried several hundred meters from the coast. The best tactic is not to swim against the current, but parallel to the shore. Usually the rips are several meters wide, so getting out of them is easy. Save your strength.

6. If your muscles are cramped, act energetically:

Hip cramps can be relieved by bending the knee and pressing the heel against the buttock.
The abdominal muscles will relax if you pull your legs up to your stomach.
The reduced calf muscle will be helped by moving forward: pull your leg out of the water and pull the foot with your hands towards you.
The cramp of the hand will pass if you sharply squeeze and unclench your fingers several times.

Calmness and awareness are the main helpers in extreme situations on the water. Always remember this.