Do you have any idea what you would do if you found yourself by the swimming pool during a real drowning? Most people would panic. That’s why it’s important to at least run through a mock drowning in your mind before you actually confront this real experience.
A Mock Drowning Scene
Hopefully you will never experience this in real life!
Here is the scene… it’s a scene that so many of us here in Texas can relate to: It’s a hot, early summer day. Kids are in the pool splashing around, having fun. Neighboring moms are lounging nearby, catching up on the latest gossip.
However, they are a little too distracted. An unsuspecting tragedy is about to unfold.
A child has gone under-water and nobody can hear him.
Ten full seconds go by before his mom notices him.
She screams, yells, and runs… the mother leaps into the pool.
She finds her child at the bottom of the pool. Mom grabs her child and quickly raises the child to the top of the pool.
She gets the child out of the pool and lays him out flat on the pool deck.
First, she dials 9-1-1 and gets emergency professionals coming.
Next, mom returns to her child and starts CPR.
Shortly, paramedics arrive and rush to the child. They take over from the mother applying their life-saving skills. Their equipment keeps oxygen flowing while they get the child strapped to the stretcher. Then, it is through the yard and then they are off to the hospital.
This whole thing happens suddenly and is over in only a few minutes.
These Moments are Terrifying
You don’t ever want to find yourself in one of these situations! They are terrifying… I know because that’s what got me into my line of business.
This mock drowning was a simple one. Most actual drownings are not. For example, in this mock drowning the mother jumped into the pool, grabbed the child, and got the child out.
In reality, many adults don’t even know how to swim. Thus, what happened here can’t always happen.
Also, the drowning child in this case was in-active. In many real cases, the drowning child could be panicking. Children that are drowning and panicking have been known to grab onto adults and drag them under the water. For this reason, more than one drowning has occurred in the past
That is why parents are encouraged to use other lifesaving equipment to save a drowning victim whenever it is possible. This could be a life vest, a rope, or even a pole.
That’s also why the phrase “throw don’t go” is an important part of most swim safety programs.
In our mock drowning, the mother was nearby. Records show that this is very often the case. It might not be the mother, but an adult is normally present in about 69% of the cases when a child drowning occurs. Being present doesn’t mean the adult is actively watching.
Reducing the Risk of This Ever Happening
Giving your child swimming lessons will reduce the risk of this ever happening to you. Swimming lessons will reduce the risk of your child drowning by 88%.
Lifeguards should always be present… rather a child can swim or not. However, don’t overlook the obvious solution. If you have a child, give them swimming lessons.
Life Saver Survival Swim School, LLC Might Be Your Answer
I’m proud of my swimming school and I’m really proud of every-single-student that has gone through my school. Many lives have been saved because of it. I know that we will save many more in the years to come!
If you have a child, or maybe more than one, and if you would like them to learn to swim/float, give me a call. My name is Bonnie. I can be reached by dialing (832) 366-3008. Or, you can reach me by email.