Shoals Ambulance offers water safety tips to prevent ‘silent killer’
Drowning accidents are the g accidents are the leading cause of death and injury of children under 5 years of age, according to the National Safety Council. Often referred to as the “silent killer,” drowning can cause victims to slip quietly under the water within reach of adults without them noticing.
As pool season begins, Shoals Ambulance, the exclusive E-911 ambulance provider for Franklin County, urges families to recognize the signs of drowning and always watch children during water activities and sports.
“Hollywood portrayals of drowning situations have caused people to have an unrealistic view of what drowning really looks like,” said Blake Hargett, Shoals Ambulance operations supervisor. “In the movies or television, drowning victims will wave their arms, thrash in the water or call for help. In a real drowning situation, victims often slip quickly and quietly underwater before anyone notices what is happening.”
Drowning victims often cannot get their mouths above water long enough to inhale to call for help. Their limbs will be busy under the surface pushing down on the water and trying to bring their mouths above the surface to breathe. Their bodies will be upright in the water with no evidence of a kick or struggle. These are signs of behavior called instinctive drowning response.
“Once a child enters instinctive drowning response, a rescuer may have as little as 20-60 seconds to intervene before he or she slips beneath the surface,” Hargett said. “If a person is waving or calling for help, this is a sign of aquatic distress, which is still a serious situation and can quickly escalate to Instinctive Drowning Response.”
Signs of instinctive drowning response include:
- Mouth submerged or head tilted back with mouth open
- Eyes closed or glassy, unable to focus
- Hair over forehead or eyes
- Vertical position in water
- Hyperventilating or gasping
- Appearing to be climbing an invisible ladder
According to the Centers for Disease Control, an estimated 3,500 people die from unintentional, non-boating-related drowning each year, and 340 people die from boating-related drowning. Nearly 80 percent of people who die from drowning are male, and the drowning rate of African-American children, ages 5-14, is three times that of Caucasian children in the same age range.
To prevent drowning, safety measures like fences around bodies of water and flotation devices are helpful, but parental supervision is the best defense. Designate a CPR-trained adult as a “water-watcher” to supervise children in the water.
To protect your family this summer, follow these safety tips:
- Teach children to never swim alone and always designate a CPR-certified “water-watcher.”
- Keep a phone nearby in case of emergency.
- Make sure the pool has a four-sided fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Cover and lock pools and hot tubs when not in use.
- Enroll children in swim lessons.
- Avoid entirely or moderate alcohol consumption when boating.
- Immediately exit the water when the weather turns for the worse, especially upon hearing thunder or seeing lightning.
- Don’t rely on flotation devices as a substitute for supervision or swim lessons.
- Don’t dive into water without checking the depth of the pool or lake.
- Know the real signs of drowning before splashing in the pool, taking the boat out on the lake or swimming in the ocean and keep families safe this summer.
