comms, nice idea.

The only "Instinctive Drowning Response" video on YouTube was pulled by the copyright holder. I emailed them to ask them if they could produce a higher-quality, linkable version of the video that just shows the IDR. I'm hoping they'd be able to. I don't want to ruin their profit, but I just want people to recognize when something is terribly wrong!

Used to be a lifeguard years ago, luckily I never had to save anyone. One thing that the article doesn't mention, but it really should, is that people shouldn't swim out and try and grab a drowning person. The drowning person will likely overwhelm the attempted rescuer, and very possibly take both people down.
If you do get in this situation and are in danger of being drowned, swim down and they will let go.

Best thing, is to have a floatation device with a rope, and throw it to/past the person, use the rope to pull it to them. If there isn't one with a rope, swim out with what you have, and keep it between you and the victim. Hand it to them, but don't let them get close enough to you to grab on.

Thanks for link and it is good reminder for all.

I swim lengths at a local and very busy multi-purpose pool 2-3 times per week. I have seen a couple of close calls usually with younger children that their parents are not paying too much attention to. Although there are lifeguards on duty, they cannot always see everything at every second. As mentioned, drowning often doesn't look like drowning and it can happen so fast that most people will not realize what is happening until it is almost too late....or sadly when it is too late.

I almost drowned when I was about 7 years old. I didn't know how to swim at the time. I fell in the pool, at about seven feet deep. In retrospect, I guess my response was atypical because I went berserk, clawing and making all kinds of commotion to get out of there. Luckily, I was able to latch onto the side of the pool somehow. Nobody was in the backyard. It was one of those "life flashing before my eyes" moments.

thanks bing, pasing this on to as many friends and family as possible, many of whom have young kids and pools.

When I was six, I pulled my brother from the pool. Two random guys did CPR til the ambulance came. Surprisingly my brother is fine.

I guess the moral is, sometimes having people there doesn't help either - good thing you self-rescued!

I should add that today I'm an above average swimmer who respects, but does not fear, water!

Just stumbled over this web page last night and is relevant to this thread and discussion. 14 things your lifeguard might not tell you. When I was at the pool this morning, I was thinking about the article and made me much more aware of what the lifeguards were doing...and not doing.

The last time I went to a major waterpark I saw several of the teenage lifeguards constantly texting on their cell phones while obviously trying to hide the activity from their supervisors.

That's a "I'm outta here and you will refund my money instantly" offense if I've ever seen one. I've never seen an on-duty lifeguard in possession of electronics at any water park I've been to, walkie-talkies excepted.