Rescue of drowning people: Will the victim come back to life in half an hour?

Summer has arrived, the swimming season has opened, and with its beginning, the number of accidents associated with drowning has traditionally increased. Alas, very often people die because they are given first aid incorrectly and untimely. Doctor Natalya Novitskaya spoke about how to bring an unfortunate drowned man back to life.

"People are drowning various reasons, says Natalya. “This is careless behavior on the water, swimming in prohibited places, or in a storm, alcohol intoxication.”

Experts distinguish between “pale drowning” and “blue drowning.”

“Let’s start with “pale” drowning,” says Natalya Novitskaya. “In this case, water does not enter the lungs and stomach. This happens when drowning in very cold or chlorinated water. This is explained by the fact that unexpected contact with very cold or chlorinated water causes reflex spasm of the glottis, which, in turn, does not allow water to enter the lungs, and also leads to reflex cardiac arrest. The victim develops a state of clinical death."

Signs of "pale" drowning are a pale gray color skin, a small amount of foam, which when wiped does not leave wet marks on the fabric or napkin. With “blue” drowning, the victim’s face and neck take on a blue-gray color, pinkish foam comes out of the mouth and nose, and veins swell on the neck.

Even in case of a long stay in cold water there is a chance to save a drowned person (if, of course, he can be pulled out of the water).

“The first thing you should do is turn the drowned person onto his stomach so that the head is lower than the pelvis,” teaches Natalya Novitskaya. “As quickly as possible, insert two fingers into his mouth and clean the oral cavity in a circular motion. Then press on the root of the tongue to provoke gag reflex and stimulation of breathing. If after pressing you hear the characteristic sound “e” and vomiting begins, and you see food remains in the vomit, this means that the victim is alive. Indisputable evidence of this will be a reduction in the intercostal spaces and the appearance of a cough.”

If vomiting and coughing appear, then your task is to remove water from the lungs and stomach as soon as possible, says the doctor. Next, periodically press on the root of the tongue for 5-10 minutes until all the water comes out. To make it go away better, you can pat the victim on the back with your hands or squeeze him tightly several times while exhaling. chest from the sides.

Even if a drowned person has no signs of life, you can try to resuscitate him. If, when pressing on the root of the tongue, there is neither a gag reflex nor breathing movements, quickly turn the victim onto his back, check the reaction of the pupils to light and the presence of a pulse carotid artery. If they are missing, start doing artificial respiration. In this case, you need to stop every 3-4 minutes, quickly turn the victim onto his stomach and remove water and foam from the mouth and nose.

Resuscitation procedures are carried out within 30-40 minutes, even if they have no effect. If after this time the patient has not revived, then the death is irreversible.

If, as a result of resuscitation, the victim’s heart begins to beat again and he begins to breathe on his own, to avoid complications, turn him over again on his stomach and carefully remove water from the respiratory tract.

Complications from drowning may include pulmonary or cerebral edema. In case of pulmonary edema ( characteristic features- bubbling breathing, frequent coughing with the release of pinkish foamy sputum) the victim must be immediately seated or placed in a position in which his head is raised.

If possible, apply a heating pad to his feet or soak them in warm water. After that on top part Apply tourniquets to the hips. They should be applied for no more than 40 minutes and then removed from the right and left legs alternately with an interval of 15-20 minutes. You can let the patient breathe in alcohol vapor.

May indicate cerebral edema coma, frequent gagging and appearance. But even if this is not observed, to reduce the risk of developing cerebral edema, apply something cold to the victim’s head.

After carrying out rescue measures, you need to lay the victim on his side and call an ambulance. While you are waiting for doctors, do not leave the victim unattended, as cardiac arrest may occur at any second! - warns Natalya Novitskaya.

If, fortunately, you managed to save a drowning person on your own, calling an ambulance is still necessary, since as a result of water entering the lungs (even in small quantities), a person often develops pneumonia. Therefore, it is better that he remains in the field of view of doctors for several days.

Shlionskaya Irina

The rescue of a drowning person, contrary to the popular saying, much more often becomes the work of those around him, and not of himself. Most often, people drown while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, as well as swimming at night and/or in unfamiliar places.

What to do if you see a drowning person? Assess the situation and, of course, try to help without getting hurt yourself (unfortunately, there are many sad cases when brave people overestimated their capabilities and skills, drowning along with the one they wanted to save). Therefore, let us remind you: knowledge of the basics and rules, and not a subjective assessment of one’s strengths, is what can really save a life.

What are the basic rules for saving drowning people?

How can you tell if a person is drowning?

First, let's figure out how to understand whether a person needs help. The statistics are sad: most people have no idea what a drowning person looks like.

Let's dispel the most important (and most dangerous) myth in this topic. A drowning person does not wave his arms, does not scream or call for help. A drowning person has a different behavior:

• the person behaves very quietly, because his breathing is confounded - he can neither scream nor simply speak;
• often dives underwater, emerging from the water to scoop up some air, so only the mouth can be visible from the water;
• a drowning person does not wave his arms, but uses them to stay afloat as much as possible;
• the eyes are closed, the person remains upright, but does not move his legs;
• a drowning person may try to swim away, but the movements lead to nothing;
• a person does not react to speech addressed to him (a drowning person is simply not able to do this);
• may try to roll over onto his back.

Shore rescue (boat)

In some cases, you can help a drowning person without having to rush into the water. To attract the attention of others, a fail-safe method is to cry for help. There may be good swimmers or a professional lifeguard nearby. In any case, you should try to throw to the drowning person some object that floats well on the water, even a large one. plastic bottle with the cap turned on, it will at least somehow support the drowning person on the surface. The best help is a rope or a long stick that you can grab with your hands.

Water rescue

In such stressful situation Do not forget that you should not rush into the water to save a person if you yourself have insufficient swimming skills. As they say, nine to one, in this case two people die - both the person being saved and the rescuer. Such, unfortunately, are the statistics. And a completely different rule: if you are an excellent swimmer, then, without hesitation for a long time, throw yourself into the water, there is no choice, seconds count, your determination will be rewarded with a saved human life. Of course, you should quickly remove your clothes and shoes first so that there is no interference in the water. If this happens on a river, then the speed of the current must be taken into account; they swim up to the drowning person from the side from which he does not see the rescuer, because he is grasping at straws, there is a risk that he can drown you too.
How to transport a person being rescued? There are several ways, but practice shows that it is best to drag the victim to the shore on his back or on his side. The rescuer takes the drowning person by the chin with both hands so that his head is always above the surface, and he himself floats on his back, while using his legs using the breaststroke method.

If the person being rescued is transported on his side, then the rescuer’s legs can also work using the crawl method, then one of his arms also participates in rowing. It happens that the victim is especially excited, resists the rescuer, and interferes with him. In such cases, the right hand is inserted between the back and right hand drowning person to his left shoulder, while the rescuer rows towards the shore or boat with his left hand, and pushes off with his feet using the breaststroke, this method is very effective, even if the victim is larger and weighs more than the rescuer.
Of course, it is best to acquire water rescue skills in advance by practicing your actions to the point of automaticity, for example, in warm weather. summer time in a river or lake. Such training should be carried out on the sea coast with safety nets, since any sea near the shore has dangerous currents that sometimes even a good swimmer cannot cope with. If you find yourself in such a “scrape”, when you are simply pulled into the sea, despite active resistance, then do not try to row to the shore, wasting your last strength, row along the shore, and after 20-30 meters you will leave the deadly rip current.
In general, rescuing a drowning person and transporting him is not an easy task, difficult and dangerous work. You need to be prepared for it both physically and mentally. And if the victim was brought to the surface of the earth or into a boat, then it is immediately necessary to provide him with first aid.

First aid for a drowning person on the shore

If the victim is conscious, but scared, cold, then the body should be rubbed with a dry cloth, towel, dressed in dry clothes, wrapped in a blanket, and given a hot drink.
If you are unconscious, but breathing and the pulse is palpable, then it will help ammonia, rubbing with a dry towel.
If there is no breathing and a weak pulse, immediately call an ambulance and begin artificial respiration before it arrives.
Clear his mouth and nose of mucus and dirt, place the victim with his stomach on your bent leg so that his head is down, press several times on the torso, thereby freeing the victim’s stomach and lungs from water. Then proceed directly to artificial respiration: the victim is placed on his back with his head thrown back, the larynx should not be closed with the tongue.

It is necessary to kneel at the side of the head, pinch his nose with one hand, support his neck and head with the other, and then exhale deeply through the handkerchief into his mouth, while the victim’s chest rises and then falls. After waiting 1-2 seconds, inject air again. And so on for 30-40 seconds at a fast pace, and then at a slower pace. If the rescued person does not breathe independently, immediately begin chest compressions. With your palms, at a rhythm of 50-70 times per minute, give vigorous short pushes to the lower part of the victim’s sternum. Alternate indirect cardiac massage with artificial respiration until the ambulance arrives.

We must fight for a person to the end. There are examples when life returned to a drowned man an hour and a half after the start of first aid. As soon as he regains independent breathing, it means you have won - and you must not leave the victim unattended for a second, because... Cardiopulmonary resuscitation may be required again at any time

The water element rarely leaves anyone indifferent. Swimming, diving, boating, surfing - these and many other water activities bring a lot of fun to both children and adults. At the same time, staying in water is a rather dangerous activity that requires increased attention and good coordination of movements.

No one is immune from incidents leading to sad results. Particular dangers for swimmers, including experienced swimmers, are reservoirs with numerous whirlpools and strong currents, areas near bridges and ice-cutters. That is why everyone should know how to provide first aid to a drowning person.

What is drowning and how does it happen?

Drowning is an asphyxial condition resulting from the filling of the respiratory tract with fluid. Having fallen under water, a person first instinctively holds his breath, but as he weakens, he swallows. At some point he experiences laryngospasm, and then loss of consciousness.

While the swimmer is unconscious, water continues to passively flow into the lungs. The result pathological changes in the body there is damage to the respiratory, digestive, cardiovascular and central nervous system. The composition of the blood changes. There may be muscle cramps. After cardiac arrest, brain function is impaired. It is noteworthy that death in fresh water occurs 4–5 times faster than in salt water, namely after 2–3 minutes.

How to understand that there is a drowning person in front of you? There is an opinion that a drowning person is actively fighting for life and calling for help. In fact, due to impaired breathing, he is unable to speak or row. Moreover, a person who struggles to stay afloat will sink faster, using up precious oxygen.

Help is needed when a swimmer periodically dives into water above the mouth line. At the moments when he manages to raise his head above the surface, he only manages to take a convulsive breath of air and tries to clear his throat. A drowning person is always in an upright position and does not make supporting movements with his legs. He has a glassy look. He does not wave his arms, but, spreading them to the sides, chaotically pushes off from the water.

This is how real (wet) drowning occurs, but there are other types of this condition.

• False (dry, asphyxial) drowning is accompanied by a feeling of lack of oxygen, which occurs as a result of a breathing spasm. Sometimes this condition is caused by a panic attack, sudden muscle cramps in the legs, and dizziness. A suffocating person, unlike a truly drowning person, can give signals (call for help, wave his arms), but without outside support it is difficult for him to get to shore.
• Reflex (instant) drowning occurs as a result of vascular spasm, stroke, or heart attack. A person who has had an attack first turns pale, and then quietly and quickly goes under the water. Having pulled such a victim ashore, the rescuer must, skipping the stage of clearing the airways of water, begin resuscitation measures.

Rules of conduct in case of drowning

If you feel tired while swimming, you need to lie down on the water and relax. You should breathe evenly: inhale deeply and, after a short pause, exhale slowly. Another option to stay on the water is to take the “float” pose. To do this, you need to pull your legs towards your body and hold your knees with your hands. As you inhale, the face is raised above the water, and as you exhale, it is immersed. Having become disoriented during a dive, you need to exhale a little and, noticing where the bubbles are heading, follow them. In case of cramps, you should straighten your leg, grab the thumb and forcefully pull your foot towards you.

If someone near you is drowning, follow these steps:

• Look around for a rescue craft. If you find one, take it with you.
• Before you swim, really assess your capabilities: take into account your swimming ability, distance, strength of wind and water current.
• If you are not sure that you will swim, ask the rescue center on duty for help.
• When rescuing yourself, calm and encourage the drowning person. If he is conscious, ask him to hold on to your shoulders.
• Take the unconscious person under the armpits from the back or grab him by the hair and tow him to shore.
• If a drowning person goes under water, dive as deep as possible in the place where you last saw him.

Important! Rule number “1” - swim up to the victim from behind so that he, being in an inadequate state, does not accidentally drown you.

What to do in case of true drowning

First aid for rescuing a drowning person depends on the type of drowning. A person who has swallowed water will have a bluish face and neck. On true drowning may also indicate coughing, vomiting, pink foam coming from the mouth and nasal cavity.

According to the severity, three phases of the condition are distinguished: initial, agonal, terminal. First aid for a conscious victim is to warm and calm him down, and prevent him from choking on vomit. Signs of initial drowning usually go away quickly. If the victim still feels unwell after half an hour or an hour, you should consult a doctor.

At the agonal stage, the victim is unconscious, but breathes, has weak pulse. First aid is to:

• clean respiratory tract. Vomit, silt, and algae are removed from the oral cavity;
• remove water from the lungs. The victim is turned onto his stomach and thrown over the knee of the bent leg. While supporting his head, he is patted firmly in the area of ​​the shoulder blades;
• do artificial respiration. The victim is placed on his back, his head is thrown back and his mouth is opened. With one hand they hold his face by the chin, with the other they pinch his nose. Inhale deeply and, wrapping your lips around the victim’s mouth, make two exhalations lasting a second each;
• normalize blood circulation. The victim's legs are raised and a cushion is placed under them;
• combine artificial respiration with closed cardiac massage. Place your palms on the victim’s chest and forcefully and rhythmically perform 30 pushes. When giving a massage to an adult, do not bend your arms at the elbows - this allows you to lean on with your full weight. As for the child, the pressure should be lighter. A baby is given a heart massage thumbs. Alternate two breaths with thirty compressions.

At the terminal stage, clinical death occurs: there is no pulse even in the carotid artery, there is no breathing, dilated pupils do not respond to light. How to help such a drowning person? Artificial respiration begins as early as possible. While still in the water, as soon as the victim’s face is above the surface, exhale into his nose. To prevent air from escaping, cover the victim's mouth with the palm of his hand. After inhalation, they withdraw so that passive exhalation occurs. Insufflation is done every 4–5 seconds.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation measures are being started on shore. To start the heart, a precordial blow may be required: a palm is placed in the area of ​​the lower third of the sternum, and then the fist of the other hand is sharply struck on it. Check the pulse in the carotid artery. If it is not there, go to artificial ventilation lungs and closed massage hearts. An adult is given sixty pressures per minute, a child – eighty. Every fifteen pushes, two blows are made into the mouth. To provide qualified medical care a drowning person needs to be taken to the hospital as quickly as possible.

What to do in case of false and reflex drowning

In case of dry or instantaneous drowning, resuscitation measures begin with cardiac massage and artificial respiration. Providing first aid to a drowning person should continue after he regains consciousness. In a victim who has suffered clinical death, the functioning of the heart and respiratory organs may cease again, and pulmonary edema may develop. The person who has regained consciousness needs to be changed into dry clothes, warmed with a warm drink and a blanket.

Doctors should also provide first aid: you must call emergency assistance or take the victim to the hospital yourself. The patient may require further examination and hospitalization.

How to save a drowning person without going underwater yourself? Professionally trained specialists know everything about this, but unfortunately this knowledge is often not enough ordinary people. Let's look at all the intricacies of saving a drowning person.

We have all seen in films how a drowning person, waving his arms, jumping and swallowing air, also tries to call for help. IN real life everything is completely different. The moment you begin to drown, panic comes to the fore, and self-preservation instincts bury themselves somewhere deep inside. In addition, a spasm of the throat may occur and interruptions in breathing may begin. Of course, no shouting: “Help, I’m drowning!” there can be no talk, and then all hope lies with those who remained on the shore. How to understand that a person in water needs help. There are several signs that will help you not to miss precious minutes and begin rescue efforts in time when a person is drowning:

• the head of a drowning person remains in one place for a long time, half submerged under water and only sometimes rises above the surface to take a breath of air;
• a person’s gaze is directed in one direction, his eyes are “glassy”, he does not react to hair that interferes with him;
• the hands are positioned horizontally on the surface of the water, the drowning person seems to be trying to push off the water with them;
• breathing is intermittent, the person tries to lean out of the water as much as possible or throw his head back;
• the skin of the face becomes pale, foam may come from the mouth;
• a drowning person will not respond to calls and respond to appeals to him.

In case of panic drowning, the first 30-60 seconds a person may wave his arms, scream and flounder, but after this time he will completely go under water. Having noticed at least one or two signs, immediately begin a rescue operation. In such a situation, even a second of delay will cost a person his life.

How to save a drowning person, basic rules of rescue

Correct and coordinated actions will help quickly save human life. If you are not a professional rescuer, you should know some rules of conduct in such situations. Never swim to help unless you are an ace at swimming yourself. So not only will you not help, but you yourself will go under water. Measure your strengths. Drowning, already exhausted, so he can’t help you in any way.

You also need to quickly navigate and find the point on the shore closest to the drowning person. Never jump into water in unfamiliar places. There is a risk of running into pitfalls. It’s better to enter quickly but carefully and then start swimming.

How to properly swim to a drowning person

The crawl style of swimming will allow you to quickly reach a person. The correct way to approach a drowning person is from behind, so you will protect yourself from his hands. Remember that the actions of a person who is fighting for his life are thoughtless and most often performed reflexively, so the rescuer needs to be as focused as possible and clearly follow the sequence of actions. First of all, dive in, grab him around the waist from behind and try to lift him higher so that he can inhale as much air as possible.

If a person goes to the bottom, you need to calculate the strength and direction of the current and dive after him. Having felt the body, grab it tightly and, pushing off from the bottom, emerge from the water with one jerk. It is ideal to take with you an inflatable ring, ball, swimming board or other object that floats well on the water. This way, the drowning person will be able to grab onto it, which will make it much easier for you to get back to the shore.

Fisherman's Rescue winter fishing different from summer ones. You can't approach him while standing. Lie down and crawl little by little towards the victim. Several people can be involved. People forming a chain while lying on the ice have a greater chance of salvation than one person. Give the drowning person a stick, fishing rod, net or other object at hand.

How to save a drowning person, capture and transportation

There are many ways to save a drowning person and pull him to shore. The choice depends on specific situation, behavior and human condition. The two most commonly used capture techniques are:

• turning the drowning man's back to you, clasp his jaws on both sides with your palm, without closing his mouth. Straighten your arms and breaststroke towards the shore. When transporting the victim, make sure that his mouth and nose are above the surface of the water;
• turn the person on his side, clasp the upper arm of the drowning person by the armpit with your hand. Turn yourself on your side and use your legs and free hand to head towards the shore.

You can grab a person by the clothes or hair. Quickly determine the shortest route to land and stick to it. This way you will save a drowning person and avoid drowning yourself.

Techniques for uncontrollable grabs of a drowning person

If a drowning person grabs you, immediately take steps to free yourself, otherwise he may drown you. Push off, twist, try to dive. The life of him and the person being saved will depend on how quickly the savior frees himself. When you grab one of your hands, sharply turn it against the drowning person’s thumb and pull it towards you. If your hand is grabbed by two hands of a drowning person, pass yours under his hand and press your palm on his wrist. Before releasing, take in as much air as possible and try to get away from the attacker. When you need a break, do not walk away from someone drowning in the water from above; it is better to do it underwater.

How to save a drowning person on land, first aid

After the first part of the rescue operation is done, and the victim is on land in an unconscious state, it is the turn to carry out resuscitation actions. The cessation of vital functions of the body occurs within a few minutes,

If a drowning person loses consciousness while still in the water, then resuscitation measures must begin there. Take the man in comfortable position and inhale air through his nose, while closing his mouth. Your goal is to fill the lungs with oxygen until a reflex exhalation occurs and the person is freed from the water inside him.

It’s good if an ambulance or rescuers are waiting for you on the shore. Then that's it further actions resuscitation of the rescued will fall on their shoulders. But there are situations when help has not yet arrived, there are no doctors nearby, and you have to do everything yourself. In this case, you can proceed as follows:

• get down on one knee in front of the victim, place him stomach down on your raised knee and open his mouth. Press your hand on his back so that the water he swallowed comes out;
• if a person starts severe cough and vomiting, make sure that he does not lie on his back, otherwise he may choke;
• After the victim has gotten rid of excess fluid, lay him on his back and put rolled up clothing and your knee under his head, the main thing is that the head is slightly elevated.

The absence of a person's breathing and pulse for 2-2 minutes can lead to death. Immediately begin chest compressions and perform artificial respiration.

For artificial respiration, the person is freed from constricting clothing, placed horizontally and preferably on a hard surface. They place a roll of clothing, a small stone, their leg, etc. under the neck. The rescuer pinches the victim’s nose with one hand, and with the other, pulling down the chin, opens his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he exhales air into the mouth of the drowned man. If you see that the chest has risen, then air has entered the lungs. Continue the procedure every 2-4 seconds and take at least 25 exhalations.

During breaks between artificial respiration, do indirect massage hearts. Performing it on a soft surface can cause liver damage, so the person should only be on a hard horizontal surface. Palms are placed on the chest in the area of ​​the drowned person’s heart, one on top of the other, the fingers are raised up and do not touch the chest. Perform strong and rhythmic movements. When pressed, the sternum should move down by about 4 cm. The movements are performed using the body weight itself, and not the arms.

If you got hurt old man, then the pressure is performed at half strength, and if it is a child, then they press with their fingers. On average, you should get 15-20 presses in 10 seconds.

Resuscitation efforts continue until the person regains consciousness. Do not stop under any circumstances, even if it seems to you that it is pointless to continue. It happens that even after an hour of such actions you can achieve positive results.

Prevention of accidents on water

Any accident can be prevented. The same applies to drowning. The risk of going under water increases with the onset of warmer weather, when outdoor trips become frequent events. Good mood, a relaxed state fueled by strong drinks leads to carelessness on the water, and the risk of drowning increases significantly. Temperature changes can also be reasons for going underwater, when a person, having warmed up in the sun, suddenly plunges into the water and loses consciousness. If water is too cold, you may experience a cramp. To avoid drowning, listen to the following tips:

• When entering a body of water, do not swim too far. If this happens, and you understand that you won’t get back on your own, lie on your back, rest and call for help;
• Having decided to get to land on your own, give yourself as much rest as possible;
• If you don’t know how to swim, swim with inflatable flotation devices;
• do not let children go to the beach themselves;
• do not dive headfirst without knowing the bottom topography;
• It is not recommended to swim immediately after eating and especially after drinking alcohol;
• when resting on the mattress, make sure that it is not carried far from the shore;
• It is prohibited to swim near bridges, quarries, cliffs and in places with strong currents;
• Just in case, attach a safety pin to your swimsuit. You can use it if you suddenly have a cramp.

Remember that even a master of sports in swimming can drown. Caution on the water is not just empty words. Follow it, and then bathing will bring you and your family joy, not grief.

We all love to relax, especially by the sea or river. However, vacations are not always pleasant. Since childhood, we were taught that games have no place on the water, and that if you don’t know how to swim, don’t go far. Having matured and learned to swim, we consider ourselves professional swimmers and, being firmly confident in our strengths and capabilities, we swim wherever our eyes look.

Few of us think about the consequences and dangers of long swims or games on the water. Improper behavior, swimming while intoxicated, emergency situations- all this is fraught with drowning. Drowning is an accident involving liquid entering a person’s respiratory tract, resulting in oxygen deprivation.

No person is immune from such cases. The sooner a drowning person is removed from the water, and the sooner he is given first aid, the higher the chance of saving his life. Everyone should be able to and know how to provide emergency care to a victim on the water. From this article you will learn what to do if a person begins to drown in your presence.

IN medical practice There are four types of drowning. Each of them is characterized by its own characteristics.

1. Primary, wet or true. Accompanied by penetration of fluid into the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract. When immersed in water, there is no loss of the respiratory instinct. As a result, the bronchi and lungs fill with water. It is characterized by the release of foam from the mouth and cyanosis of the skin.
2. Dry or asphyxial. Accompanied by immersion under water and loss of orientation, spasm of the larynx and filling of the stomach with liquid. Blocking of the respiratory tract and the development of asphyxia are also noted.
3. Fainting or syncope. It is also called pale. It is characterized by the acquisition of a pale, white-gray or bluish tint by the dermis. Death occurs due to a reflex cessation of the heart and lungs. Pale drowning is caused by temperature changes and immersion in ice water.
4. Secondary. This is the result epileptic seizure or a heart attack that suddenly occurred during drowning. The lungs fill with water after clinical death occurs.

Algorithm for rescuing a drowning person

Help for a drowning person must be provided immediately. Any delay is fraught with critical consequences, in particular death. The condition of the victim and his life will depend on how competently and timely the emergency service was provided. The algorithm of actions and their sequence in case of drowning is divided into three stages: actions in water, on land and after emergency assistance.

The first action when helping a drowning person is to pull him to shore. It is necessary to act quickly and as correctly as possible.

• Swim up to the victim from behind, grab him in a way that is safe for you (a drowning person can grab onto his clothes and drag you along with him). The most acceptable and universal option is towing by the hair (the method is justified if the victim has long hair).
• If a person still grabs his hand or clothing, do not try to unclench his hands, as you will only waste time. Dive with him, in the water he will instinctively open his hands.
• Swim to the shore on your back, while rowing with your right hand if you are right-handed and with your left hand if you are left-handed.
• Make sure that the victim's head is above the water and that he does not swallow water.

After you have pulled the drowning person to dry land, proceed to the second stage. The sequence of actions is as follows.

• Lay him on his back, then clear the airways of foreign substances and objects, vomit and mud, and remove dentures. Do not enter the victim's mouth bare hands, wrap your finger in soft material.
• Turn him over and place his stomach on his knee. Liquid that gets into the air chamber will flow out.
• Shove it in oral cavity two fingers, then press on the root of the tongue. All of it will come out with the gag reflex. excess liquid and the breathing process will be restored.
• If the above measures do not bring results, perform artificial respiration and chest compressions. In case of asphyxial drowning, resuscitation should be carried out immediately. In this case, the stage of inducing vomiting is skipped.

The third stage involves carrying out activities that promote further restoration the victim's condition.

• Lay it on its side.
• Cover with a blanket or dry towel.
• Call an ambulance.
• Do not leave the patient alone for a second; monitor his condition until the doctors arrive.

In true or wet drowning, water penetrates directly into the lungs in 70% of cases. In addition to feeling the pulse, examining the pupils, warming and maintaining blood circulation (raising the legs), artificial respiration often has to be performed.

In asphyxial drowning, fluid never enters the lungs. Instead, there is a spasm vocal cords. Fatal outcome is caused by untimely assistance and hypoxia. With this type of drowning, the first thing to do is to carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The second stage is calling an ambulance and the third is warming the patient.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation

Stopping breathing and cardiac function during drowning is a common phenomenon. In order to restore lung function and save human life artificial respiration and cardiac massage should be started immediately. The mouth-to-mouth technique is performed as follows.

• Open the victim's mouth, remove mucus and algae (don't forget to wrap your fingers with cloth). Wait until all the liquid drains from your mouth.
• Hold your cheeks to keep your mouth open, tilt your head back and lift your chin.
• Pinch your nasal passages, take a deep breath and blow the air into the victim's mouth. The number of repetitions is 12 per minute.
• Check your pulse.
• After some time, breathing will appear.

Cardiac massage must be performed as carefully as possible, as there is a high risk of damage to the ribs.

1. Position the person on the ground.
2. Place one hand on your sternum and place the other on top at a 90-degree angle.
3. Apply rhythmic compressions to the chest, about one per minute.
4. To restore heart function small child, pressure should be applied with two fingers.
5. If there are several rescuers, CPR is performed simultaneously; if there is only one, then artificial respiration with cardiac massage must be alternated every half a minute.

Causes and signs of drowning

The World Health Organization defines drowning as respiratory distress caused by immersion or prolonged exposure to water. Prolonged stay under water is fraught not only with breathing problems, but also with asphyxia. Late or incorrect delivery first aid to the victim is fraught with death. The brain can work for a maximum of six minutes during hypoxia, which is why you should act as quickly as possible, without waiting for an ambulance.

There are several reasons why a person may drown. Not all of them and not always random. This situation may be due to:

• injuries when diving in shallow water;
• swimming in unexplored bodies of water;
• alcohol intoxication;
• emergency situations: seizures, stroke, diabetic or hypoglycemic coma;
• inability to swim;
• neglectful attitude towards children, lack of education;
• getting caught in whirlpools or storms.

Contrary to popular belief, it is quite difficult to recognize a drowning person, since his external holding on the water looks completely ordinary. Calm behavior is determined by the inability to call for help due to impaired breathing. The maximum that a person has enough time and energy for is to inhale. How can you understand that a person is drowning if he does not scream for help? It is not difficult to understand that the victim needs help if you are attentive.

The head of a drowning person is located in the posterior direction, while the mouth is open. The head can be under water, and the mouth can be located at the surface of the water. The eyes of a drowning person are either hidden under hair or closed. The breathing of a drowning person is frequent and deep. This is due to the desire to capture the maximum possible portion of air.

You can understand that the victim was drowning after being removed from the water by the following symptoms: bloating, chest pain, blue or bluish tint to the skin, cough, vomiting, shortness of breath.

Consequences and possible complications

Even after the patient has regained consciousness, he needs qualified assistance. The fact is that when drowning in fresh waters, death can occur even after several hours. That is why you should keep the situation under control and not take a single step away from the victim until the ambulance arrives. Prolonged stay in an unconscious state and without oxygen is fraught with:

• dysfunction of the brain and other internal organs and systems;
• neuralgia;
• chemical imbalance;
• permanent vegetative state.

Drowning in sea and fresh water: is there a difference?

An accident can happen both at sea, at headquarters and in the river. However, drowning in fresh waters is fundamentally different from diving in salty sea waters. What's the difference?

Inhalation of salt water is less dangerous and has a better prognosis. Great content salt helps prevent fluid from penetrating into the lung tissue. However, there is a thickening of the blood and pressure on the circulatory system. Complete cardiac arrest occurs within ten minutes, but this time is enough to save a person’s life.

Immersion in fresh water is a more complex process. The entry of fluid into the lung cells is accompanied by their swelling and bursting. In addition, water is absorbed into the blood and makes it more liquid, which causes capillaries to rupture, cardiac dysfunction and complete cardiac arrest. The duration of this process is a couple of minutes. Death occurs much faster in fresh waters.

Dangers that can await everyone

The most dangerous things can lie in wait in the water different dangers: algae, storm or strong current. And from each of these situations, in order to save lives, it is necessary to find a reasonable way out. Of course, it’s hard to think when you’re starting to drown or when you’re being engulfed in seaweed. But you still have to concentrate.

Quite often it happens that a person without swimming skills ends up in the water, and not near the shore. In this case, the main thing is not to panic, but to try to stay on the water until help arrives. You need to lie down on the water and breathe slowly and deeply. You shouldn't try to swim, as you'll only waste all your strength. When staying in cold water, it is possible that state of shock. It is important to monitor your breathing and try to always stay on the water.

Strong currents often cause drowning. All you have to do is stop fighting it. It's a waste of energy. Go with the current, and as soon as its strength decreases, turn around and swim to the shore.

Algae often gets in the way of a swimmer. Many people immediately try to free themselves from them. Some even dive to untangle themselves. This should not be done, as the algae may entangle your neck while you free your legs. When getting entangled in river or sea vegetation, it is correct to make sharp, repulsive pushes. You can also try to roll them, to do this you need to rub one foot against the other.

1. Don't play in the water. Do not use entertainment that involves capturing a person.
2. If you start to drown or become entangled in seaweed, do not scream at all. When screaming, a person takes deep breaths, which risks swallowing water. The liquid, once in the blood and upper respiratory tract, provokes a deterioration in the functioning of internal organs.
3. If you are tired, avoid long-distance swims.
4. If your leg is cramped, dive in, pull your big toe, and try to straighten it.
5. Do not swim in bodies of water that are not surveyed or unknown to you.
6. Learn to swim.
7. Don't walk on thin ice.
8. Avoid swimming while intoxicated.

Do not neglect safety precautions and soberly assess your capabilities before diving and swimming long distances. Don't brag about your skills or brag to your friends. Water games are dangerous. Take care of yourself and try to behave correctly on the water.