Most of us, by way of avocation or requirement, have learned to swim. We swim and we teach our kids to swim. Drown-proofing can be taught to kids as young as six months old and, IMHO, every child should get drown-proofing training, if not full-on swimming lessons. A few of us have taken the junior, senior and, advanced lifesavers programs sponsored by the Red Cross. We, for better or worse, get to play lifeguard. Some of us may have made a little money on the side working as lifeguards. Mostly we are ready to help out and rescue anyone in trouble.

But can you tell if a person is drowning? I had a friend who was working as lifeguard miss a kid drowning. It was a busy day. Lots of people in the water. The kid was obscured by the diving board, other people, and the edge of the pool. It was only when his mother asked about him and a systematic search was undertaken was he was spotted underwater. Resuscitation failed.

People were all around him as he drowned. Likely at least a dozen within ten feet. There were several lifeguards on duty watching a kiddie and main pools. After the fact people commented that yes, they had seen him. He looked fine. Like he was happily splashing away. And then he wasn't there. As a matter of course my friend was fired. Anybody drowns and the lifeguards on duty get fired. Having a kid die not thirty feet from him bothered my friend a lot.

I took some of the same classes he did to get his certificates. We were in the same class at least once. Thinking about it one side of me was all youthful bravado. I would have paid better attention. I would have rescued the kid. But part of me was sad for him and I harbored my doubts. I was the goof while he was the serious one. Deep inside I knew that none of us are perfect an I might have missed the kid.

Part of the problem is that no matter how well trained to rescue people there was a flaw in our training. None of us could reliably tell you if a person was drowning by looking at them.

Yes, we play acted drowning during training. We were warned about their, and our, panic. How to break holds, and keep from becoming the second victim. How to subdue them and haul them ashore, and do CPR. I, of course, have seen the Hollywood depictions of drowning. From the cartoon 'going down three times', to the melodramatics of the feature films.

But before I saw this I can't remember anyone covering the subject of how to reliably tell if someone was drowning. I guess everyone though it would be obvious. Too obvious to have to talk about it in anything but textbook bromides. It wasn't enough.

By way of correcting this oversight I offer you this. I just wish we had this information thirty years ago. Maybe it wouldn't have helped. But maybe a kid would be alive:

http://biankablog.blogspot.com/2010/07/drowning-tv-vs-reality.html

http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/

Brought to my attention at:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f122/drowning-tv-vs-reality-43497.html

It sounds like the biggest problem in your friends unfortunate drowning incident was not recognizing a potential drowning victim per se, but in seeing him while he was being obscured by other swimmers in the area. I would assume anyone frantically splashing, otherwise struggling, or motionless in a pool might be drowning and investigate. Of course kids do these exact things when they're playing around and not drowning, but they should be investigated anyway to be on the safe side. But not being able to see all the swimmers in your pool because of obstacles or overcrowding needs to be addressed by hiring more lifeguards and positioning them appropriately, or limiting the number of people in your pool to a safe number.

I was 13 when I didn't see a kid drowning. I was right beside the pool. Suddenly a girl yelled, "He's drowning!" and dived off the board to the bottom.

One of the most insidious types of drownings is when a person is 'practicing' holding their breath under water. You see the kid come up, take a few breaths, hold his nose and go under, again and again. After a few minutes, someone may notice that he hasn't come up. Or not notice.

The explanation that I have heard is that taking several rapid breaths and then submerging can cause you to pass out under water. No one sees you unless you have made a point of having someone give you their undivided attention to make sure you remain conscious.

Don't let your kids do this unless you're right there with them. RIGHT THERE!

Reflection off the surface of the water will also obscure vision of a drowning person.

Sue

As part of my son's training he has made several unnecessary rescues of kds playing around. The training paid off when it was necessary.

When in doubt act as if is the real thing regardless. Itwas better to scold a live kid rather have nightmares over the one you missed.

One time when I was a kid, I was swimming at a pool party. I noticed my little sister on the bottom of the pool (she couldn't swim at the time). I went down and grabbed her. She was fine, but it was just luck that I had noticed her. She had just gotten in too deep, lost her balance, and went down in the deep end.

HJ

Thanks for the really usefull info.
I read the info very well.
I hope I never need it.
But knowing it might one day mean the difference between life and dead.

Vince