THE BIG PROBLEM TODAY IS THAT:
- Water safety is not common sense, yet it is assumed to be ‘common sense’
- The mass population does not know or understand that drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in the U.S. and the world.
Most people do not know these water safety basics:
- That drowning continues to be a neglected public health issue (according to a World Health Organization report)
- That drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in the nation and world (according to the Center for Disease Control Statistics) (Leading cause of accidental death for children 1-4, second leading cause for children 1-14, fifth leading cause nationwide, and third worldwide.)
- That 1.2 million people around the world die by drowning every year. International Lifesaving Federation
- That 80% of drowning victims are male (Males have a tendency to overestimate their abilities, take risks, and more susceptible to peer pressure – deadly in water)
- That 66% of all drowning victims are good strong swimmers (World Conference on Drowning; Two Thirds of People Who Drown Are Strong Swimmers)
- That 54% of Americans do not have the basic swimming abilities to save their own lives in a water emergency (according to a Red Cross Report)
- The Signs of Drowning (the Hollywood version versus the Actual Version)
- Basic drowning survival strategies like, “Flip, Float, and Follow”
- That they don’t know and don’t understand Dangerous Currents in the Great Lakes and oceans
- That they unknowingly support the Stigma of Drowning (blaming the victim, parents, or Darwinism)
- That ‘would be’ rescuers often become drowning victims (they usually don’t have the lifeguard training, equipment, or endurance)
- Lay Water Rescue That compression only CPR is ineffective for drowning victims
- How to deal with the foam that comes from drowning victims lungs (Bag back down versus suction)
- The Stigma of Drowning
- The Vicious Cycle of the drowning epidemic
- The dangers of inland lakes, backyard pools, hot tubs, koi ponds, bath tubs, low head dams, etc.
- Alcohol and water do not mix.
Top 10 Basics
- WHO Report & CDC Statistics
- Males 80% – Red Cross Report – Men vs. Women
- True Swimming Ability – 54% of Americans
- The Signs of Drowning
- Drowning Survival Strategy – Flip, Float, Follow – Floatation is the Key!
- Water hazards – Surf, dangerous currents, cold water, ice, etc.
- Water Safety – Swim near a lifeguard, life vest, rescue equipment, First responders/call boxes.
- Rescue Breaths – Compression Only Not Sufficient
- Basic Water Rescue – ‘would-be’ rescuers often become drowning victims
- Compassion
Part of the funding for this video was provided in part by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Lake Michigan Coastal Program.
