Would You Rescue a Drowning Child?

Well? Would you? Of course, you say! But do you even know how to tell if someone is in trouble? Can you identify a drowning victim in time to save them? Only if you know what to look for. And you probably DON'T!

Say what? Yes, once again we've all been Hollywooded up. Did you know that what you've seen on movies and television to depict drowning is usually 100% FALSE? You know how they wave and sputter and call for help? NOT TRUE! In fact, except in rare circumstances, doing any of these things is impossible for a person who is drowning.

Excerpt from article on Slate.com:

"Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, “Are you all right?” If they can answer at all—they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents—children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why."

If you knew all this already, great! But it was news to me. So head on over to Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning on Slate.com to find out what drowning really looks like so that you can be prepared to recognize trouble and rescue the victim - you'll likely have less than a minute to get them out of the water! And please pass the Slate.com article link on to everyone you know.