Red Cross Blogs

How to save someone who’s drowning

By Brad Smith
July 14, 2009 at 12:04 pm

Despite it being a bit gloomy here in London at the moment, summer is upon us. And whether we’re on holiday or simply fancy a good swim, swimming pools and bodies of water up and down the country are currently a more and more inviting prospect.

It’s also at this time of year that tragic stories start appearing in the media detailing how people have sadly lost their lives in incidents involving water.

So what should you do if you encounter someone that’s drowning?

Firstly, look after yourself and be mindful of danger. You don’t want to end up in the same position of the person you’re trying to save.

Once the casualty’s out of the water, check to see if they’re conscious by checking their response. If they’re unconscious, open their airway and check for breathing. If they’re not breathing normally, give five rescue breaths, then start cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) – chest compressions and breathing – at a ratio of 30 compressions to two breaths. If you’re on your own, do this for a minute before phoning 999/112 for further help. If there’s a bystander about, get them to phone for you. This video shows you how to perform CPR.

If the casualty is conscious, lie them down with their head lower than the rest of their body and allow any water to drain from their mouth.

Prevent hypothermia by providing the casualty with dry clothing and use any warm material to hand to keep them warm and dry. A warm drink would be helpful if one’s available.

Call 999/112 and arrange for the casualty to be checked out by the medical professionals. And keep monitoring your casualty until they arrive.

There’s a lot to remember there so if you want some further advice, buy your own copy of the first aid manual or take one of our first aid courses, where you can get plenty of practice!

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Tags: drowning, First aid, first aid tips

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