I saw this story on television and it reminded me of why I became a swim instructor. I was watching NBC News and they had a video from a hotel security camera that shows a child nearly drowns in the hotel pool that had more than a dozen people in it. The 2-year-old child spent nearly three minutes underwater. Fortunately, a 9-year-old girl alerted an adult who managed to pull the child out of the water.
The boy was unresponsive, but fortunately 2 off-duty nurses were on-hand and able to perform CPR and revive him. The child was taken to a local hospital and released.
Watch this video:
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that nearly 3 children per day die from drowning. Drowning kills more children between the ages of 1 to 4 than anything else besides birth defects.
This story reminds me so much about our own near mishap. This story reminds me why I’m so driven towards achieving a goal of having a day when drownings don’t even happen. I know that goal will likely never be achieved, but it doesn’t stop me from working towards it.
Perhaps “Diving Reflex” Was the Problem
In the case of this child, we could have an example of what is called “diving reflex”. Most young children have this reflex. It is not uncommon.
What this means, is that a young child in water has the tendency to put their head back, hold their breath and sink. They don’t splash, wave their arms, or make any kind of ruccous. They can be easily unnoticed because they are silent.
Expert underwater divers use certain principles of “diving reflex” in their practice of long-distance underwater diving.
Most of us think about examples of drownings from movies and films that we have seen. In those examples, the person drowning is yelling, screaming, and throwing their arms around.
This is rarely the case in real life. Drowning is quick and silent!
I hope that you watch the video above, and get a little bit concerned if you have children that don’t swim, or at least know how to float. Enroll your children in a swimming school, if not mine, at least someone’s. I know most all swim teacher’s in the Houston area, give me, Bonnie, a call at (832) 366-3008 and we can discuss which swim teacher you may want to talk to. Or, you can enroll your children at my school, Life Saver Survival Swim School.. Go to this link to enroll online, or you can call me to enroll.