Water Can Be Dangerous

 For The Unprepared

By Tanjua Damon

Water can be fun and refreshing, especially during the summertime. But water can also be dangerous and mysterious when people are not paying attention or put themselves in unsafe situations.

“The power of water should never be underestimated; its beauty, strength, or force. Life cannot exist without water. It empowers us and commands respect. Be ready for it!”

This was the opening quote on a slide presentation about preventing and managing aquatic injuries by Gerry Dworkin, a professional aquatic safety and water rescue consultant for Lifesaving Resources Inc, in a program at Danbury Hospital. Understanding the danger water can pose is an important responsibility for professionals like lifeguards, firefighters, and EMTs, he said.  Parents also need to be aware of the dangers in order to protect their children.

Drowning statistics are quite startling and put a perspective on how dangerous water can be if people are not alert and responsible:

* Drowning is the seventh leading cause of injury deaths in this country.

* It is the leading cause of injury deaths in children ages one through 19.

* It is the third leading cause of death for children up to four years old.

* There are six to ten near-drownings for every one drowning.

* There are 5,700 drownings annually.

* Ninety percent of drownings occur in open water.

* Fifty to 67 percent are alcohol and drug related.

Water and alcohol or drug use can be a dangerous mix and can be a significant factor in the safety of everyone in or near the water.

“If you stand over a bridge watching the boats pass under, there are probably ten six-packs for every PFD [Personal Floatation Device],” Mr Dworkin said. “We find a lot of drowning victims have their zippers down. They’ve been drinking, they stand at the side of the boat to relieve themselves, they fall in, and their friends are too inebriated to help.”

When on a boat, there should be a life jacket for every person on board which is readily available in case of a sudden emergency. Life jackets should be checked every year for their buoyancy and to make sure there are no leaks. People, especially children, who do not swim well should use a personal floatation device approved by the United States Coast Guard.

Facilities that have certified and qualified lifeguards are not exempt for drowning incidents, according to Mr Dworkin. Attendants of a pool, lake, or pond also have to be in tune with safety issues. Parents should not leave the watching of their children up to the lifeguard on duty.

“The problem with having lifeguards is it gives a false sense of security to the public because parents see the lifeguards and say they will watch my kids,” he said. “Simply having a lifeguard doesn’t guarantee there won’t be a drowning.”

When a person is in distress there are signs that are different from those when a person is drowning, according to Mr Dworkin. A victim in distress can support themselves in water by swimming or floating, can keep their heads out of the water to breathe, can call out for help, and can wave for help.

A person who is drowning will probably not be able to do what a victim in distress can do, according to Mr Dworkin. Drowning victims cannot support themselves in water, cannot keep their heads out of the water to breathe, cannot yell out for help, and cannot wave for help.

“During the struggling process, the airwave is compromised,” he said. “If you’re going to recognize the drowning process it has to be done in 20 to 60 seconds.”

Drownings can be caused by various conditions. A wet drowning occurs 85 percent of the time, according to Mr Dworkin. A wet drowning is when the lungs are infiltrated with water and the victim is below the surface.

Dry drownings occur 15 percent of the time. The lungs of the victim have not been compromised and the person is usually on the surface of the water.

A laryngeal drowning happens when people go swimming after they eat, according to Mr Dworkin. When someone gets into trouble in the water after they have eaten, their food comes back up and gets caught, making it hard for the person to breathe. That is why it is recommended that people wait a reasonable amount of time after eating before going swimming.

A mammalian diving reflex happens when a person enters very cold water and is shocked by it. Ice cold water slows a victim’s bodily functions with the result that the victim sometimes can be saved even if they have been in the water for 20 to 30 minutes or sometimes as long as an hour, Mr Dworkin said.

Shallow water blackouts or hyperventilation can also cause drownings. This can occur when a person is practicing swimming under water for several minutes at a time, according to Mr Dworkin. A person blows out all their carbon dioxide, which triggers the response to breathe, and the victim will black out.

A medical condition can also cause a person to drown by a silent (passive) drowning. A victim may not struggle in this situation, Mr Dworkin said.

“Anytime you enter the water, especially cold water, your airway needs to be protected,” Mr Dworkin said. “Squeeze your PFD with one hand and cover your mouth with the other.”

Contributing factors to child drownings are improper supervision, no lifeline marks (distinguishing deep end from shallow end), no fence or barrier, improper security, failure to have trained personnel available to respond, inadequate filtration and disinfecting.

Mr Dworkin offers this advice to help prevent drownings: learn how to swim, never swim alone in unsupervised places, watch children constantly, always check water depth before entering, never chew gum while swimming, isolate area on all sides with fencing and gates that lock, and do not use drugs or alcohol around water.