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Don't look for the kids that are thrashing around. Look for the ones who are still.
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I clearly spend too much time here.....I saw drowning and PSA, clicked on the thread expecting to see a living room full of boxes from Palmetto State Armory and the OP figuratively drowning in AR parts.
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I was a lifeguard at the city pool, then a whitewater guide, then EMT/Swiftwater Rescue. Water is scary yo. I didn't really respect it until I had a mishap on a simple Class III rapid that almost ended my life. I had just done Lute Jerstad's Whitewater Rescue Class on the Selway, and figured I was invincible (remember being 18....) I took some friends on a day stretch of the Salmon River that I had run, probably 50 times, flipped the boat as a joke, and got my vest hooked up on something on the raft. My face was about 3" under water. Finally, my friends figured out I wasn't messing around and helped me, but for those 30 minutes (okay, probably 10 seconds!) I was sure I was done. I could not get air. That silly little 18 yo experience totally changed my reaction when I see someone in the water. It is really hard for me to relax around water, but some places, like my favorite back-country lakes, when it is just me and my family, I can relax. Wife (no pix) is a great swimmer, and early on, we made sure our kids were not just water-safe, but really good in the water. My youngest likes to swim these stupid ice-swim races we have in the winter. I cannot recommend, but he loves them, and does well...whatever....kids these days (see my avatar) Respect the water. Thanks for posting this OP |
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Quoted: This is what drowning looks like... https://backcountrytranquility.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/gyp6.jpg What a nightmare... View Quote |
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Good post, thank you OP... If everyone would take the time to learn how to float on their back and relax..Water is nature, its not looking to kill you so don't fight it. Relax and you will live, I almost drowned until I did this....
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Four foot dive into three feet of water for me broke my neck at c 4 and c5 laid on the bottom of the lake held my breath as long as I could. I drowned. My cousin did CPR on me got me going again. Spent eight weeks in ICU strap to a bed and six months in neck braces. July 4 1979. Still have nightmares.
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Went rafting down the Nantahala once with a group, and one of the rafters fell out of her raft and didn't have her life jacket secured.............long story short, getting her in the boat was like going 15 rounds with a prize fighter. It took three of us to get her out of the water because of her fighting us
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I was a good swimmer all my life, but still managed to nearly drown several times.
Anyone ever body surfed at Sandy Beach, Oahu? linky |
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So, it's getting to be that time of year again. This has been posted before, it's nothing new. But Memorial Day weekend usually marks the first swimming-related drowning for a lot of states. These are some helpful things to keep fresh in your mind as boating/swimming/water season approaches Article http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/va2kg8bkoxdehmcfura7.jpg http://www.miseagrant.umich.edu/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/08/001-Signs-of-Drowning-Pic.jpg https://www.boatcoversdirect.com/boat-lovers/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Drowning-Infographic_sm-FB.jpg View Quote That's some scary shit right there. |
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Good stuff guys.
Every once in a while, GD delivers. Stay safe all. |
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Always been a great swimmer - but also always had a great respect for the water.
Being the best swimmer in the world won't help you in some situations. While drowning in still water is a horrible feeling, drowning in surf is downright fucking horrifying. Especially when you're fighting to get back to the surface and constantly dragged back down. |
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I life guarded in high school on diving charter boats and at the beach. The panic in their face is what sticks in my mind. Sometimes you have to pull them under in order to get the upper hand. Back then you started mouth to mouth and there were no mouth guards. You haven't lived until someone projectile vomited in your mouth.
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I remember being a pool where a lifeguard plucked what a I thought was a random swimmer out of the pool. Turned out, that the kid who was about 11 was drowning. She was okay after a minute out of the pool and then her parents took her. Must have been the Life Guard's training in spotting these alarm bells.
Thanks for the information, this thread may save someone's life in the future. Most people don't know what a drowning person looks like.
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Good post, thank you OP... If everyone would take the time to learn how to float on their back and relax..Water is nature, its not looking to kill you so don't fight it. Relax and you will live, I almost drowned until I did this.... View Quote I can't float on my back. My legs sink. |
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I was a good swimmer all my life, but still managed to nearly drown several times. Anyone ever body surfed at Sandy Beach, Oahu? linky View Quote Been bodysurfing there. Great shore break, but they don't like Haole. |
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Some of those look like "I'm trying to focus on peeing indiscreetly" faces.
I got lost in a bad rip when I was a kid good thing someone taught me to swim with it. The ocean has my respect. |
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Anyone notice a trend while watching these video's? What is it with black people, water, and lack of ability to swim? Please don't give me the "their poor, and no pools" shit. I grew up poor, and there's always a public pool in poor area's. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
Anyone notice a trend while watching these video's? What is it with black people, water, and lack of ability to swim? Please don't give me the "their poor, and no pools" shit. I grew up poor, and there's always a public pool in poor area's. Youtube channel is racis! |
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I'm sorry about your brother. That must have been horrible. Still, this kind of information is important to reduce further drownings. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Terrific, now I have a GREAT visual of how my late brother died. I'm sorry about your brother. That must have been horrible. Still, this kind of information is important to reduce further drownings. You are absolutely correct, but it doesn't make it any less fucked up. He drowned in Lake Norman and it was a day before he was found. He had the straps to his life vest wrapped around his arm but not attached and a big lump on his head. Tim was partying at his neighbors place across the lake. He had this old aluminum canoe he used to transit. Drunker'n shit, he decides to go home instead of sleeping it off. I knew my brother...he drank a lot of beer he pissed every five minutes. I guarantee he got halfway across and has to whizz, so he stands up in the boat, loses his balance, falls overboard and busts his head on the boat on the way down. It's dark, he's drunk and disorientated, probably doesn't know which way is up. The life vest is not close enough to provide any buoyancy......and that was that. Fuck. I loved him and hated him. He taught me a LOT of trades but he was a pain in the ass, too. He was a smart-ass, like I am. We could make a stone statue laugh with our antics. Tim was Son # 3, I am Son #5, of seven sons my Parents had. Good informative thread even if I screwed it up, remembering. |
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Quoted: This is what drowning looks like... https://backcountrytranquility.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/gyp6.jpg What a nightmare... View Quote |
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Quoted: And be careful if you are trying to rescue someone, always try to use a float or something they can reach for first if its at all possible(all that shit you see hanging on the side of pools, thats what it for). Going in the water should be your last resort, drowning ppl will fucking drown you in an attempt to get out of the water and get air. If you do have to go in, try to approach from the rear (we'd train to just swim under them and come up behind) and try to grab them across the chest with your arm. If you find yourself in trouble go underwater to break the contact and get away(drowning ppl really dont want to be underwater), then try again. 90% of my saves were little kids that their parents just left them in/near the water while they were back on their beach towel, dont fucking do that if you kid is so small it can barely walk. I was lucky that I was off the day there was a body recovery from someone who jumped the fence and went into the water at the place I used to lifeguard. View Quote |
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View Quote Went in for so many of these, I can't remember them all. Multiple times a day. LG for 7 years. Climbing the ladder. Wide eyes. Panicked look while sitting still with no thrashing. To this day I still see it and involuntarily revert to LG mode anytime I'm around water in public places. On a lighter note, I still catch myself from yelling at kids running around pool decks. And it isn't "STOP RUNNING!!!", it's "WALK, PLEASE!", since you gotta keep the customers happy. |
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Quoted: I was a good swimmer all my life, but still managed to nearly drown several times. Anyone ever body surfed at Sandy Beach, Oahu? linky View Quote |
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Quoted: Anyone notice a trend while watching these video's? What is it with black people, water, and lack of ability to swim? Please don't give me the "their poor, and no pools" shit. I grew up poor, and there's always a public pool in poor area's. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Anyone notice a trend while watching these video's? What is it with black people, water, and lack of ability to swim? Please don't give me the "their poor, and no pools" shit. I grew up poor, and there's always a public pool in poor area's. I think it's partly to do with bone density. |
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I remember during my lifeguard training the instructor tried to drown me. She wanted everyone to know that sometimes the people you are trying to save might try to use you as a human buoy and climb on top of you. View Quote Depending on where you go, lifeguards are taught if they're rescuing someone and that person tries to use them as a buoy, to push them off and get away as soon as possible or dive under the water and get away....a drowning person or someone who was just rescued isn't going to follow you back under the water. |
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I dive a very popular spot for partiers here in AZ. Over the years I pull at least One near drown out EVERY FREAKIN YEAR! One of the most idiotic was a girl who had a life vest and claimed not to know how to swim, but wasn't wearing it. When asked why not, the reply was... "Because it'd ruin my tan line!" Almost felt like throwing her back. On a side note: If you have someone that has had a near drowning experience, or has inhaled a significant amount of water, please take them to the ER for further evaluation. Pneumonia and other respratory problems can result from their incident. And as Dave Muncie says: Watch your kids around water! View Quote Salt? That place is a death machine once the tubers start hitting the water. A few years ago I helped a guy out of the water that didn't look like he was in good shape at all. He was in the deep spot near the cliff jumping spot and had that weird glassy look in his eyes and was hyper ventilating and ladder climbing. He could barely focus on me and seemed like he barely knew I was there. I jumped off my tube and stuck it right by his face and told him to throw his arms over it and I dragged him to shore. Sometimes when I go there I wonder if that is going to be the trip I brush against a dead body under the surface. |
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My bride jumped into the local lake to save a kid who was floating face down. He was just a few feet from a bridge where people were standing and NO ONE heard him. She pulled him out and she said he was blue... Just so happens an off duty paramedic was there and took over CPR and the kid lived with no lasting effects.
We had a buddy in HS who drowned like that... people thought he was joking around. He wasn't |
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both love and hate this time of year. been on 4 dive calls already. only one death so far
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Salt? That place is a death machine once the tubers start hitting the water. A few years ago I helped a guy out of the water that didn't look like he was in good shape at all. He was in the deep spot near the cliff jumping spot and had that weird glassy look in his eyes and was hyper ventilating and ladder climbing. He could barely focus on me and seemed like he barely knew I was there. I jumped off my tube and stuck it right by his face and told him to throw his arms over it and I dragged him to shore. Sometimes when I go there I wonder if that is going to be the trip I brush against a dead body under the surface. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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I dive a very popular spot for partiers here in AZ. Over the years I pull at least One near drown out EVERY FREAKIN YEAR! One of the most idiotic was a girl who had a life vest and claimed not to know how to swim, but wasn't wearing it. When asked why not, the reply was... "Because it'd ruin my tan line!" Almost felt like throwing her back. On a side note: If you have someone that has had a near drowning experience, or has inhaled a significant amount of water, please take them to the ER for further evaluation. Pneumonia and other respratory problems can result from their incident. And as Dave Muncie says: Watch your kids around water! Salt? That place is a death machine once the tubers start hitting the water. A few years ago I helped a guy out of the water that didn't look like he was in good shape at all. He was in the deep spot near the cliff jumping spot and had that weird glassy look in his eyes and was hyper ventilating and ladder climbing. He could barely focus on me and seemed like he barely knew I was there. I jumped off my tube and stuck it right by his face and told him to throw his arms over it and I dragged him to shore. Sometimes when I go there I wonder if that is going to be the trip I brush against a dead body under the surface. You called it! I've pulled folks out that thought shoes were optional, cut feet on glass, one girl pretty much lost a big toe. Pulled out drunks that couldn't stand, much less swim. One broken arm, he got caught up in the tubes. Dislocated joints. As I said, many near drownings, heck the MCSO knows me by first name and knows my Tahoe (as do the River Heros). Arrested 2 for exposing themselve's to females ( these guys were yanking it as groups of girls went by, some as young as 5 or so). Ahh, it's a new tube season, let's see what this year brings... |
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I completely understand there are situations where people will drown due to a number of factors. However, the concept of not being able to swim as an adult is just ass backwards bizarre to me. To me it's an essential life skill. If you're a parent and haven't made sure your children can swim you're failing them. I'm sorry but you could very well be giving them a death sentence later in life due to your lack of concern for developing this skill in your children.
Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Went rafting down the Nantahala once with a group, and one of the rafters fell out of her raft and didn't have her life jacket secured.............long story short, getting her in the boat was like going 15 rounds with a prize fighter. It took three of us to get her out of the water because of her fighting us View Quote If you are in a boat with power tilt/trim, and you need to put a person in the boat, you can turn off the outboard and maneuver the swimmer/drowner onto the motor and use the trim to raise them up. Of course it wouldn't have worked in your case, but it beats hauling a 200 pound dead weight and possibly capsizing the boat. Something to keep in the back of your mind while boating. |
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What do you mean dive calls? Dive calls as in all of them rescue or other things as well? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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both love and hate this time of year. been on 4 dive calls already. only one death so far public safety. really no such thing as recue dives. only body/evidence recovery |
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... If you're a parent and haven't made sure your children can swim you're failing them. I'm sorry but you could very well be giving them a death sentence later in life due to your lack of concern for developing this skill in your children. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile View Quote And THAT is true Darwinism. The spawn of dumb parents is/are supposed to have a better chance of dying in nature. Just because they procreated doesn't mean that the products were worth keeping. |
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I remember when I was 17yo and became a Counselor at the Summer Camp I had been going to since I was 7yo. All the Counselors had to become certified Lifeguards before the beginning of the camp season. During the classes two things really made an impression on me;
1) Most kids will assume they can swim. The see their friends in the water, they have splashed in the shallow end, it doesn't look that hard, so they jump in and start drowning (we swam at a local Spring with NO shallow end). 2) Being a designated Lifeguard was some serious business. |
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I remember when I was 17yo and became a Counselor at the Summer Camp I had been going to since I was 7yo. All the Counselors had to become certified Lifeguards before the beginning of the camp season. During the classes two things really made an impression on me; 1) Most kids will assume they can swim. The see their friends in the water, they have splashed in the shallow end, it doesn't look that hard, so they jump in and start drowning (we swam at a local Spring with NO shallow end). 2) Being a designated Lifeguard was some serious business. View Quote We do a swim test every Sunday when kids come to the summer camp I worked at. You had to tread waters for 5 mins max and swim roughly 120-140m continuous. If you couldn't do that, you weren't allowed to go everywhere in our swimming area. You were given a different colored band and only allowed in certain areas. Still though, you'd have some kids who couldn't swim like the 7 year old boy I rescued one day while lifeguarding. He was right in front of me hanging onto the dock while I was in the water for swim checks and I could see he was not 100% on the whole treading water part before we even started. While I was keeping an eye on him, I started to scan towards the other kids treading water and less than 4 secs my gaze was shifted, he was under. In the 4 secs that it took for him to be on the surface and start going under, he was already 6ft down by the 2nd or 3rd second and by the time I got to him. The only time I've ever and will ever open my eyes in that nasty lake water. |
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No way......I thought it would look completely different Sonofabitch
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