Water Safety

Water Rescue Advice

Any person who is drowning will need immediate help. It only takes a few minutes for someone to drown, so if you see someone in trouble in the water, you must react right away. Have somebody call 911 to get emergency medical personnel on the scene as quickly as possible.

The best way to help

A drowning victim can be extremely dangerous to a rescuer. They will be in a severe state of panic, and flailing in the water attempting to grab on to anything or anyone. A person who is drowning is likely to inadvertently take an attempted rescuer down with them, so it is best to not approach them unless it is absolutely necessary.

Take a quick look around for anything that can be thrown to the person that they can grab on to and be towed out of the water. Look for a large stick, a length of rope or a pole - anything they can catch and you can hold on to and pull them back to land with. Ask everyone who is nearby to help you find something and bring the person in to safety.

When you toss the item to the victim, call them by name if you know who they are, or do anything you can to get their attention and make sure they see what they are supposed to grab on to. As soon as they have hold of it, gently but quickly bring them to land.

If you are in a boat, get the boat as close to the person as possible, and follow the same procedure. Toss them some rope, extend an oar or get anything to them that can be used to pull them to the vessel. Drag them on to the side of the boat, and help them get in.

When there is no other way

If there is no other option than to swim out to a drowning victim, take a brief moment to assess the situation. Make sure the person is not too big for you to help them. Don't become a second drowning victim while attempting a rescue.

Swim to them from behind, never approach in front of them as they will likely grab on to you and can pull you down. As you get close, talk to them in a calm and reassuring manner. Tell them that you are there to help, and that they are going to be okay. Call them by name if you know it, and say whatever you can to keep them as calm as possible.

When you get to them, place your arm around them and over their chest. Swim towards the land using a side stroke method and be sure to keep your head above water at all times. If the victim fights you, back off, talk to them some more and try again. If they pull you under water, swim even deeper down until they let go, and follow the same procedure. Do everything you can, but do not put yourself at risk.

Back on dry land

Once you get the victim back on the ground, administer CPR if you know it, and wrap the victim in a blanket if possible As soon as the medical personnel arrive, let them take over and do their job.

Seeing a drowning victim will be a scary and intense situation. Take every step possible to bring it to a safe conclusion for everyone.