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During drowning, respiratory function is impaired due to water entering the nose and mouth. If there is no rescue quickly, airway obstruction can occur and, consequently, water accumulates in the lungs, putting life at risk.
Some measures can be taken to save a person who is drowning, and it is necessary, first, to ensure their own safety and check that the place does not pose a risk to the rescuer. If someone is drowning it is important to follow the steps:
- Recognize drowning, observing if the person has his arms outstretched, fighting not to be under water, because often, because of despair, the person is not always able to shout or call for help;
- Ask for help to another person who is close to the place, so that both can continue with the help;
- Call the fire brigade ambulance at 193 immediately, if it is not possible, call SAMU at 192;
- Provide some floating material for the person who is drowning, with the aid of plastic bottles, surfboards and Styrofoam or foam materials;
- Try to carry out the rescue without entering the water. If the person is less than 4 meters away, it is possible to extend a branch or broomstick, however, if the victim is between 4 and 10 meters away, you can play a buoy with a rope, holding on the end opposite. However, if the victim is very close, it is important to always offer the foot instead of the hand, because with nervousness, the victim can pull the other person into the water;
- Only enter the water if you know how to swim;
- If the person is removed from the water, it is important to check the breath, observing the movements of the chest, listening to the sound of the air coming out through the nose and feeling the air coming out through the nose. If you are breathing, it is important to leave the person in the lateral safety position until firefighters arrive at the scene.
If a person is not breathing, it means that they have been submerged for a long time, and may have hypoxemia, which is the skin becomes purplish, loss of consciousness and suffer a cardiorespiratory arrest. If this happens, before the rescue team arrives on the scene, cardiac massage must be started.
How to do cardiac massage at the unconscious person
In case the person is removed from the water and is not breathing it is very important to start cardiac massage, to keep the blood circulating in the body and increase the chances of survival. Here's how to do cardiac massage:
Cautions when trying to save someone in water
After assisting the drowning victim with the support of floating materials, one can try to remove him from the water, however, this should only be done if the rescuer knows how to swim and is safe in relation to the location. Other precautions need to be considered in case of rescue in the water, such as:
- Warn other people that the rescue attempt will be made;
- Remove clothes and shoes that may weigh in the water;
- Take another buoyancy material such as a board or float;
- Do not get too close to the victim, as the person can grab and pull to the bottom of the water;
- Only remove the person if there is sufficient strength;
- Keep calm, always calling for help.
These precautions are important so that the rescuer does not drown and it is always necessary to keep someone outside pointing out directions and calling out loud.
What to do if you are drowning
If a drowning happens with you it is necessary to remain calm, as fighting against the current or struggling causes muscle wear, weakness and cramps. It is also important to try to float, wave for help and only shout when someone can hear, because more water can get in through your mouth.
If drowning is in the sea, you can let yourself be carried out to the high seas, out of reach of the surf and avoid swimming against the current. If drowning happens in rivers or floods, it is important to keep your arms open, try to float and try to reach the shore by swimming in favor of the current.
How to avoid drowning
Some simple measures can prevent drowning from happening, such as swimming or bathing in places that are known to be deep, that do not have currents and that are watched by firefighters or lifeguards.
It is also important not to try to swim right after eating or consuming alcoholic beverages, or after being exposed to the sun for a long time, especially if your body is hot and the water temperature is very cold, as this can cause cramps, making it difficult to move around. from water.
Children and babies are more susceptible to drowning, so some additional care is necessary, such as not leaving them alone near or inside bathtubs, buckets full of water, pools, rivers or the sea, as well as avoiding access to the bathroom, placing locks on the doors.
Children under the age of 3 should always have their buoys in a pool, rivers or sea and, if possible, to prevent drowning of these children, fences can be installed around the pool and enrolled in swimming lessons.
In addition, to prevent drowning it is necessary to wear a life jacket on boat trips or Jet Ski and avoid being near swimming pool pumps, as they can suck hair or trap a person's body.