How to Give First Aid to Someone Who Is Drowning: Dos and Don’ts

Note: This blog is not written by a professional doctor or a first aid professional. It only contains well-known first aid tips to rescue a drowning person in an emergency. You must always call 911!

We should always be prepared for emergencies. If you ever encounter a drowning person, you must be ready to give them first aid. That’s why we’ve compiled a few ways to help them survive until the help arrives.

Look For Signs Of Consciousness

Some victims may become unconscious soon after submersion in deep water, so try to rouse them by shouting for them gently and slapping them about the face. If they respond, offer rescue breaths as described below.

Lay Them On Their Back

Once the person has been rescued from the water, lay them on their back with head higher than feet until help arrives. It is important to lay them as flat as possible during CPR as it improves circulation by pumping fluid from the lower levels of your body up to your heart. In this position, blood can circulate your body more readily, leading to quicker recovery times.

Administer Rescue Breaths

If there’s no sign of breathing or pulse, administer rescue breaths at a rate of 30 per minute until help arrives or until the victim regains consciousness. Break the seal on your mouth every 15 seconds to prevent rebreathing carbon dioxide and causing yourself to pass out while performing CPR.

Administer Adrenaline

Administer enough adrenaline to raise the victim’s blood pressure to around 120/80. This will help reduce the risk of an internal injury caused by damage to the heart and lungs if the victim loses consciousness or drowns accidentally.

Pump Chest For Ventilation (Ventilation-Perfusion)

If there’s no sign of breathing or pulse, pump chest for ventilation (ventilation-perfusion) until there’s a breath after which you can give air with rescue breaths. When a breath is given, this should be followed by a pulse check.

Give Mouth-To-Mouth Resuscitation

If you’re confident that the victim is no longer breathing, then give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (MOMR) with two ventilations in a bid to clear their airways of any liquid trying to be expelled from their lungs during submersion and prevent any further damage from occurring due to lack of oxygen.

If you have a pool in your backyard, you must learn CPR and first aid from professionals. So that in case of an emergency, you’re ready to rescue your loved ones!

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