Drowning doesn't look like drowning

It is so upsetting that there are just so many needless drownings of children and adults during the summer!  A child or teen may not be able or willing to seek help.  If we can recognize certain visible signs of distress, we may be able to become alerted and prevent a drowning situation. 

What are some signs?  Public pools have rest time for their swimmers. How can we tell if a child needs to get out of the water and rest?

We must always keep our eyes open to all activity in the pool.  Drownings occur most often when we are distracted.  In this drowning incident, the father went inside to dry off "for a minute" and when he returned to the pool area, his child was in the bottom of the pool!

Here is an article about how to recognize drowning:

Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning . So what does it look like?  

"Drowning is not the violent, splashing, call for help that most people expect. ... drowning (does not) looks like (what you see while) watching television. If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that’s all of us) then you should make sure that you and your crew knows what to look for whenever people enter the water. Until she cried a tearful, “Daddy,” she hadn’t made a sound.  Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life."

Here is a video about an ocean near drowning experience.

 Drowning Signs aren't like the movies 

"Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:

• Head low in the water, mouth at water level
• Head tilted back with mouth open
• Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
• Eyes closed
• Hair over forehead or eyes
• Not using legs – Vertical
• Hyperventilating or gasping
• Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
• Trying to roll over on the back
• Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder.

So if a crew member falls overboard and everything looks OK – don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. 

And parents – children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why."

Use the Learn to Swim with Miss Bea dvd to teach your child to grab the wall and be saved!

Zaven's Wishes - One Year later

Nine year old Zaven Sears drowned one year ago after sneaking into a country club pool.  His parents have started a foundation to provide swimming lessons and teach life-saving skills.  Children who would not go for swimming lessons are being taught how to survive and help others in a water emergency!

The Zaven's Wishes Foundation's mission reports the following statistics:

An estimated 5,000 children ages 14 and under are hospitalized due to unintentional drowning-related incidents each year; 15 percent die in the hospital and as many as 20 percent suffer severe, permanent neurological disability.
National Safety Council

19% of drowning deaths involving children occur in public pools with certified lifeguards present.
Drowning Prevention Foundation

The majority of children who survive (92 percent) are discovered within two minutes following submersion, and most children who die (86 percent) are found after 10 minutes. Nearly all who require cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) die or are left with severe brain injury.

I believe that even children who are afraid of the water should be taught basic water saving skills.  I don't think parents should wait until their child is "ready."  That child will not have a chance to survive!

Since the majority of children are discovered within two minutes following submersion, children who know how to hold their breath (even if they can't swim) have a greater chance of being rescued without suffering effects of water intoxication.  It is so easy to teach a child how to hold their breath.  A parent can do it in the bathtub and from the baby's first bath!  But parents have to be told and taught!

Also, children should practice opening their eyes under the water without goggles.   A child who can swim may panic if the goggles fall off because they think they need them to see under the water!

I learned this while teaching hundreds of children to swim!  How can we get the word out?

Don't get Swimmer's Ear from swimming

There are two different kinds of ear infections.  The outer ear infection can be a result of getting water in the ear while swimming.  Read the Mayo Clinic on Swimmer's ear.

Some doctors recommend using a couple of drops of "Swimear"  after getting out of the pool to prevent swimmer's ear.   But most kids will not get an ear infection from swimming.  In my experience, usually just one ear infection and you will be using those drops every time!!

Here is one recipe for making your own drops.  Make a 50:50 mixture of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol for use after swimming or exposure to water. Apply 3-4 drops in each ear canal after swimming. This helps dry the canal and maintain the acidic environment of the ear canal.  

I always keep some drops available for my clients to use on the children.  It works!

By the way, I have an ear infection now, but my ear infection is from allergies.  I am on antibiotics and should be better soon...