The scene calls for quick action: someone struggles in the water and starts screaming for help. If there are no lifeguards around, it may be up to you to attempt rescue. In such a situation, it is not enough just to be a good swimmer, it is necessary to know how to deal with a desperate victim who, in search of any lifeline, can also take his “savior” to the bottom.
You may never face a difficult time like this, but just in case, it’s better to be prepared. After all, drowning is unfortunately still quite common in Brazil, causing the death of thousands of people every year. According to the most recent data from the National Health Foundation (Funasa), 5,849 people drowned in the country in 2001. But the situation has already been worse. Between 1979 and 1998, the number of deaths fell by 18%, thanks mainly to the improvement of rescue services, not only on beaches but also in club pools. Even so, rescue teams cannot be everywhere. “The big problem is that around 80% of drownings occur where there are no lifeguards”, says Lieutenant Salvador Diniz, from the 17th Group of Firefighters in São Paulo, Salvamar Paulista.
Most deaths occur in rivers and lakes, where firefighters are not usually present as often. The numbers prove what the lieutenant says: although São Paulo, alongside Rio de Janeiro, leads the national records of thousands of annual drownings, only 166 people died on the beaches of São Paulo last year, precisely because this is a highly monitored region. by the lifeguards.
Although experts recommend that untrained people avoid risking this type of rescue, anyone can find themselves facing the situation of being the only one capable of saving the life of a relative or acquaintance. Therefore, knowing how to act at this time can help not only to help those who are drowning, but also to protect their own lives.
1 – When you see someone drowning, first try to notify a lifeguard or offer the victim an object to help him float, such as a board. If none of that works, go to the rescue, initially asking the person to calm down before making physical contact. This is important because, in desperation, it can end up drowning you too.
2 – Approach the person from behind, passing an arm under the victim’s armpit and chin, thus helping him to keep his mouth above water. Your smartest arm is free for you to swim
3 – Go to the shallowest part using the so-called military swimming, “paddling” with your free arm and moving your legs to gain momentum. If the sea is rough and it’s difficult to get to the beach, try to stay in an area with less turbulence until you get help.
1 – If the victim reaches land unconscious, see if he is breathing, approaching his mouth and nose
2 – If there is no sign of breathing, start mouth-to-mouth ventilation, covering the person’s nose and blowing air into the mouth
3 – After two mouth-to-mouth breaths, start a series of 15 cardiac massages. You must place your weight on your two hands, which remain supported, one over the other, in the center of the victim’s sternum (breast bone). Compress her chest and then release. Repeat this cycle of two breaths and 15 massages until the person starts breathing again.