CITY OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK

FIRE DEPARTMENT Public Education Office

224 South Massey Street Watertown, New York 13601 Office: (315) 785-7809 Fax: (315) 785-7821 tkolb@watertown-ny.gov

Important Myths about Drowning.. What do life guards see 50 from a drowning victim that parents cant recognize only 10away? Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waiving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for is rarely seen in real life. According to Dr. Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., there is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. Of the approximately 750 deaths attributed to drowning this year, about 375 of them will happen within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In some of those drowning, the adult will actually watch the child do it, having no idea that it is happening. The bodies Instinctive Drowning Response forces the body to do the following: The body is physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing and speech is secondary. Drowning peoples mouths alternately sink below and then reappear above the surface long enough to exhale and inhale quickly as their mouth begins to sink below the waters surface again thus not allowing time for any yelling Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the waters surface to leverage their body so they can attempt to lift their mouths out of the water to breathe. From beginning to end, a drowning body can only struggle at the surface for approximately 20-60 seconds before submersion occurs. Other signs of drowning to look for include; head low in the water, mouths at water level, head tilted back with mouth wide open, hair over forehead or eyes, not using legs, hyperventilating, trying to swim but not making headway, trying to roll onto their back, appear to be climbing an invisible ladder. If a distressed person in the water cannot answer a simple question are you alright, then probably they are NOT. SUPERVISE small children around the water EVERY SECOND. Learn Life Saving skills. Contact your local fire department or American Red Cross