Do you know how to swim?

[jymbee]

As they said in Scouts, "Reach or throw, dont go" as there is no reasoning with a person who is drowning and in a panic to get air/stay afloat, they will push you under.
That is why lifeguards have rescue floats (ie: Lifeguard Float ) as they can push the float to the drowning person and the person holds onto it while they pull from a safe distance with the rope.

Aaron Z

Also many very sad stories about people who drown trying to save others. Just on the news today in fact:

Teenage Girl's Body Recovered From Foam Filled Big Sioux River

The overwhelming impulse to save a loved one can unfortunately trump good judgement.

 

[mvwicker]

Our apartment complex (in Burbank, CA) had a pool, so I learned to swim at age 5. Then we moved to MD and I learned to swim in the ocean, lakes and ponds, though the Potomac River was so polluted those days that swimming was forbidden. The Ozark streams near my current hometown of St Louis are wonderfully clean, and I prefer them to chlorinated pools.

My best friend from college finally learned to swim at age 40, so it is never too late.

 

[Redneck in training]

I am an average swimmer. I learned to swim as all kids from the village. The older guys threw you in the pond from a boat and when you were almost reaching it they would pull little away. Most kids initially swam we called "poodle" (doggy style) and learned other styles later.

I saved two people from drowning in single week about 20 years ago. I had nightmares about the first save for years waking up swimming in rough ocean in my dreams. The guy I saved doesn't remember a thing and still claims that I made the story up. Second save just few days later was easy. It was perhaps 8-9 years old girl swept in the ocean by a wave and when she was almost on the shore another wave lifted her washed her back in the ocean.

 

[Sigarms]

As they said in Scouts, "Reach or throw, dont go" as there is no reasoning with a person who is drowning and in a panic to get air/stay afloat, they will push you under.
That is why lifeguards have rescue floats (ie: Lifeguard Float ) as they can push the float to the drowning person and the person holds onto it while they pull from a safe distance with the rope.

Aaron Z

One of primarly lessons you learn as a rescue diver is that if you are going to help someone alive in the water wanting help, you're probably going to need to half drown them to subdue due them. Go down underneath them, grab them by the hip underwater and come up on their backside and throw them in a full nelson and hang on for the ride to wear them out. You aren't there to be nice, and someone who is in a panic in the water will not only push you under, but will try to drown you so they can stay afloat.

When I was 2 or 3 my parents had me at one of their friends in Michigan who had a inground swimming pool. Party atmosphere at the pool, and the story goes I fell in and no one saw me. My dad went diving into the water when he didn't see me at the edge of the pool (way to go dad for not noticing lol) and as he was going down, I was trying to swim up. When he pulled me out, he just looked at me and laughed, and apparently I laughed as well. My parents said I loved the water ever since. Had to of gotten it from my father, like him, I loved being in the water.

 

[tow653]

Learned to swim when about 3or4. Took free Red Cross lessons for years,obtained Water Safety Instructor cert,and taught lessons while lifeguarding at city pool.Never saved any one at that job,but 20 yrs later had to pull someone out of pool at home,go figured,at least still new methods!

 

[MossRoad]

As they said in Scouts, "Reach or throw, dont go" as there is no reasoning with a person who is drowning and in a panic to get air/stay afloat, they will push you under.
That is why lifeguards have rescue floats (ie: Lifeguard Float ) as they can push the float to the drowning person and the person holds onto it while they pull from a safe distance with the rope.

Aaron Z

We were always taught "Reach, Row, Throw, Go". Going is your last option and only by someone trained and physically able to do it. While I was a lifeguard for many years, I would hesitate to go these days, knowing my physical limitations (I'm out of shape). Swimming for one is hard enough. Swimming out, overcoming a flailing panic stricken victim, subduing them, putting them in a carry and having to lock with two arms, then swimming them back with only your legs..... pretty sure I can't do that anymore. Find something that floats, a cooler, an empty milk jug, a rope, or even a stick or board to keep some distance between you and the victim.

I try to ice fish every year (although nature isn't cooperating. And I fish from a canoe in the summer. I carry a throw bag with me. Its a floating rope in a bag. You hold the rope and toss it over the victim. It plays out as it goes through the air. Very handy and takes up little room. Used them many times on the white water course.

Anyhow, learn to swim and make sure your loved ones know how as well.

 

[MossRoad]

It's interesting that several who posted here expressed similar comments regarding their inability to swim. I'm wondering if there actually is some kind of physiological predispositin that some have which makes them less boyant somehow? But as I see many people of all sizes, shapes, and weights that can swim very well, I'm left to wonder whether there are other factors-- or combination of factors-- that lead some to believe they're just innately "sinkers". Not sayin' it's all in your head, but just that it's curious ...

Something we learned also....

Most males, if holding their breath, arms out to side and feet straight down, will sink a bit, but bob back up to eye level in the water. Kinda like a Navy Seal stalking someone! :laughing:

Most females, in the same position, will bob back up with their nose just above the water. They can breath and exert less physically to keep their nose above water while men have to exert themselves a bit more.

Try it some time. I taught that to my daughters. All they need to do is relax and they'll bob back up. Once they realize it takes very little effort to float, they also realize they can bob around in the water until someone gets them. They don't have to swim to save themselves. They can float. Takes the panic away pretty quick.

Of course, there are exceptions to the generalization and some folks just sink. But I can pretty much gaurantee that if most of you take a breath, pull yourself into a ball with your arms holding your knees to your chest and tuck your chin to your knees and relax, you'll initially sink, then bob back up to the surface with your back(where your lungs are) riding right at the surface. 99.9% of people can do this. Try it in a 4' pool sometime. You bob back up.

 

[brin]

We were always taught "Reach, Row, Throw, Go". Going is your last option and only by someone trained and physically able to do it. While I was a lifeguard for many years, I would hesitate to go these days, knowing my physical limitations (I'm out of shape). Swimming for one is hard enough. Swimming out, overcoming a flailing panic stricken victim, subduing them, putting them in a carry and having to lock with two arms, then swimming them back with only your legs..... pretty sure I can't do that anymore. Find something that floats, a cooler, an empty milk jug, a rope, or even a stick or board to keep some distance between you and the victim.

I try to ice fish every year (although nature isn't cooperating. And I fish from a canoe in the summer. I carry a throw bag with me. Its a floating rope in a bag. You hold the rope and toss it over the victim. It plays out as it goes through the air. Very handy and takes up little room. Used them many times on the white water course.

Anyhow, learn to swim and make sure your loved ones know how as well.

Moss- I agree with all you said about Reach, row, throw and Go maybe not being an option at all depending on the situation....I see news stories every year about men younger than you or me that drown trying to save someone who has fallen in one of several of our huge reservoirs around here....sad, most often it is a middle age father trying to swim out and save a friend or a child...Know your physical limitations...it takes a lot of lung capacity to swim out . tussle with a panic stricken swimmer and then swim back for 2...like you said...When I was younger and a life guard it was hard enough but now...I would have to really be sure of the outcome based on the situation. It's all about decisions....life or death.

 

[grnspot110]

Well, I did several years ago, suppose I still could if need be! ~~ grnspot

 

[MossRoad]

Moss- I agree with all you said about Reach, row, throw and Go maybe not being an option at all depending on the situation....I see news stories every year about men younger than you or me that drown trying to save someone who has fallen in one of several of our huge reservoirs around here....sad, most often it is a middle age father trying to swim out and save a friend or a child...Know your physical limitations...it takes a lot of lung capacity to swim out . tussle with a panic stricken swimmer and then swim back for 2...like you said...When I was younger and a life guard it was hard enough but now...I would have to really be sure of the outcome based on the situation. It's all about decisions....life or death.

I recall one particular incident when I was 18 or 19. A buddy lifguard and I were on lunch break. Our beach was on an oxbow lake about a mile long. The beach was at one end. At lunch, we would walk across the narrow peninsula and then swim across the lake (about 120 yard) to the high bank and play around on a rope swing that was on a cemetery's property. It was about a half a mile from the legal beach and not open to the public, and well out of sight from the beach as well. Anyhow, we swam across and there were three young kids playing on the swing. We told them they shouldnot be there and should use the public beach. They pretty much gave us the raspberry and kept playing around. Finally, they decided to swim back to the park side. So, my buddy and I took a few swings on the rope and then noticed one of the kids struggling in the middle of the crossing. We jumped in and started swimming out to them. The first one was really panicing and started grabbing one of his friends. We separated them. My buddy took the stronger swimmer and started assisting him, I took the victim in a carry because he wouldn't stop panicing. We started heading to shore and my legs cramped up, my calves came up to my thighs and I was done. Great! Somehow I managed to stay with the victim keeping our mouths out of the water with one arm around him and one arm to paddle with. My buddy swam his kid and the other back to shore, came back out and got my victim and took him to shore, and came out again and helped me to shore. I had to lay on the grass for a few minutes until my legs loosened up. That was fun. :laughing:

Anyhow, I was in tip-top shape back then and it could have ended ugly. I can only imagine how something like that would end today as I'm 30+ years older and a hundred pounds heavier. Hmmm.... maybe diet and excercise is in order! :cool2: