Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning
slate.com
Drowning is not the violent, splashing call for help that most people expect.

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Every summer I repost this article on how to spot drowning. Please read it and pass on. In the last few years I’ve had SIX messages from people who saved a kid’s life after clicking on the link from my feed.

  • ollie the otter ~ 🦦 (they/them)@pawb.socialEnglish
    124·
    2 days ago

    I can confirm this - I have nearly drowned a few times, and it felt like I couldn’t move. The natural reactions just took over me, and to be honest felt quite counterproductive. Until I was helped, I felt completely frozen, only moved by the water, until someone helped me, it was terrifying.

    One of the worst parts was because I had got water in my lungs, even as I was helped above the water, I tried to breathe, but I simply couldnt. I thought I was going to die and I couldnt communicate it because, like the article says, breathing first, speaking second. It took what felt like multiple minutes but was probably like 10-20 seconds before I could actually breathe.

    I’m very grateful for those who have saved me, and I clearly haven’t learned my lesson because I still love being in water :P

    • socsa@piefed.socialEnglish
      8·
      1 day ago

      I watched a kid nearly drown in waist deep water. To this day I have no idea what happened, but it looked like he was floating, then flopping around playfully, then going back to floating. I was standing on the shore just getting my feet wet (this was a “beach” outside Toronto) and I was just kind of watching him because his behavior seemed off somehow. After one of his “flops” he started a face down float, which he’s done a few times, but this time it kept going.

      I had been counting in my head without even realizing it and we were up to about 60s when I started looking around. Had anyone else noticed? His mom came over and started calling to him. Ok, she’s in control. Another 30s pass and his mother is getting panicked. Fuck, I’m fully clothed, an hour from home, should I dive in? Something is definitely wrong. Someone do something… I turn around and start yelling as well.

      Finally someone drags him, limp, from barely 3 feet of water. WTF. People are giving him CPR and I check his pulse between breaths… Fuck. I can’t find a pulse. Then he rockets a half gallon of water from his lungs and sits up. Finally some lifeguards show up.

      I’d completely froze in the moment. I sensed something was off and didn’t do anything. Thank God the kid survived, but I think about it way too much…

      • Janx@piefed.socialEnglish
        4·
        1 day ago

        A crisis is, by definition, abnormal. Please don’t kick yourself for not acting as quickly or as perfectly as you want to in hindsight. I’ve been there before too, and the threshold for “this really is happening, I have to act” isn’t always clear…

    • bus_factor@lemmy.world
      481·
      2 days ago

      Surely you learned something, and wouldn’t be drowning for the exact same reason next time?

    • Aussiemandeus@aussie.zone
      10·
      2 days ago

      A Username like that and still drowning that’s impressive mate,

      I can’t swim very well so I just stay out haha

    • Fleppensteyn@sh.itjust.works
      6·
      2 days ago

      Happened to me twice. Both times due to cold shock and I couldn’t move. For some reason people like to lie about water temperature, “jump in, it’s not too cold”