Quick ways to save, rescue drowning victim

It is now imperative for every individual especially parents and guardians to learn basic emergency steps for rescuing a drowning victim.

Drowning is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid.

Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim’s situation or unable to offer assistance.

For children, they need constant supervision around water, be it a bathtub, a wading pool, an ornamental fish pond, a swimming pool, a spa, the beach, or a lake.

Of recent, there have been sad cases of individuals getting drowned, and on the extreme end, resulting into death.

Some of the few cases of persons who got drowned are highlighted in this piece. While some survived, sadly, some others didn’t make it alive. Some victims got drowned due to devastating floods in some parts of the country.

Popular musician David Adedeji, also known as Davido, lost his three-year-old son Ifeanyi David. The artist’s son drowned in a pool at the family’s residence on Banana Island, Ikoyi.

While there are few safety precautions which can prevent most drownings especially for parents and guardians, it is important that one must be conscious at all time. Some of the precautions for parents and guardians are as follows:

1. Never leave children unattended in or near water — Do not take your eyes off your child when he or she is in or around the water.

2. Teach your children how to swim — Children who are younger (but older than age 1) might also benefit from swimming lessons, but check with your doctor first.

3. Teach children to stay away from drains and also install proper barriers, covers, and alarms on and around your pool or spa.

It is important to note that children can drown regardless of their age, hence they need strict supervision and guidance. Drowning victims often swallow a lot of water.

Here are first aid measures that should be administered to drowning victims;

1. Get the drowning victim out of the water

The first priority is to get the drowning victim out of the water as quickly as possible. If victim is not breathing, place the victim on their back on a firm surface. Immediately begin rescue breathing and have someone call for help/raise the alarm for emergency attention.

2. Rescue Breathing

Check the victim’s response by gently tapping, shaking or calling their name loud. If no response, turn them on their side and check their airway is clear, removing any blockage.

Gently tilt the victim’s head back with one hand, and lift their chin with the other. Put your ear to the victim’s mouth and nose, and look, listen, and feel for signs of breathing.

3. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR)

According to redcross.org, starting CPR immediately after a victim got drowned, is the most important thing you can do to prevent the victim from dying.

If the victim is not breathing, perform a quick CPR. You do not need to remove water from the child’s throat to start CPR.

Carefully place the victim on his or her back on a firm surface. Tilt the child’s head back and lift the chin. However, if you suspect a neck injury, do not tilt the head, just open the jaw. For a baby, be careful not to tilt the head back too far.

If the worst happens and you have to rescue a distressed swimmer, conducting CPR while you wait for an ambulance to arrive could save that person’s life. When the heart stops, continuing to circulate blood to the brain helps prevent a bad outcome.

4. Do chest compressions

Place two fingers on the breastbone, then begin to rapidly press down on the chest about 11/2 inches deep and then releasing the pressure. Make sure you’re not pressing on the end of the breastbone.

Do 30 chest compressions, at the rate of 100 per minute. Let the chest rise completely between pushes. Check to see if the baby has started breathing, by observing if the chest rises and falls on its own.

Repeat these processes, until the child starts breathing or until emergency help arrives.

This simplified article is to help parents and guardians understand the importance of giving adequate care and attention to their children and ward. When it comes to drowning, doing something is always better than doing nothing.