If the boat has capsized, the main thing is not to get confused! An overturned boat holds well on the water, so you need to stay calm and hold on to the boat until the rescuers arrive, pushing it toward the shore. Those who are good swimmers should first of all help those who are not, keeping them afloat.
If you get under the raft or sail of an overturned boat, you should never close your eyes. You should swim in the direction where the light comes from. Those who are good swimmers should first of all help those who are not good swimmers to keep them afloat.
You have to rescue one drowning person first, then another; it is impossible to rescue several people at the same time.
The cause of death on the water can be whirlpools that pull in even experienced swimmers; algae that restrain the swimmer's movement. In a fast river, you can get caught in a strong current. It picks up the swimmer and begins to carry him randomly. Fighting against the current can eventually exhaust the swimmer's strength. Therefore, it is more prudent to swim downstream, periodically resting on your back, slowly approaching the shore.
If the swimmer is in the water during a storm and cannot get out of the water. In this case, you should choose the strongest tailwind, ride it to the shore, and run out onto it. If this is not possible, you should grab hold of algae or coastal stones and hold on with all your might, resting on your toes until the wave subsides, then jump off and run out of the surf.
If you are caught in a whirlpool, take in as much air as possible, dive into the water, and make a strong upstream jerk to the surface. Hypothermia or a sharp transition from a warm to a cold water zone can cause cramps that bring down your arms and legs. The main thing is not to get confused! You need to immediately change your swimming style, it is best to lie on your back and swim to the shore. Try to stay on the surface of the water and call for help!!!
A swimmer entangled in algae should not make sudden movements or jerks, otherwise the loops of the plants will tighten even more. It is necessary to lie on your back and try to swim in the direction of the tide with soft, calm movements. If this does not help, you need to pull up your legs and carefully free yourself from the plants with your hands. Other causes of accidents on the water can be hypothermia in the water; muscle fatigue caused by prolonged work without relaxation, continuous swimming in the same style; swimming by an unhardened swimmer in water with a low temperature, etc.
In all cases, the swimmer is advised to change the swimming style and get out of the water if possible.
If there are no conditions for immediate exit from the water, then you should proceed as follows:
- if you feel the fingers tightening, you should quickly and forcefully clench the fingers of the hand into a fist, make a sharp flip movement of the hand to the outside and unclench the fist;
- in case of a cramp of the calf muscle, it is necessary to bend down, grasp the foot of the affected leg with both hands and forcefully squeeze the leg at the knee in front of you.
When children are boating, an adult must be present in each boat. He or she must be able to steer the boat, swim well, and know how to provide emergency assistance to victims on the water. The main cause of water-related deaths is fear.
In most cases, people who know how to swim drown and swim far from the shore with confidence. There they can get into a stream of cold water. Then they start to shake their legs and grab a snag. In this situation, the main thing is not to get scared. You need to dive into the water and pull your foot towards you with your hand by the big toe.
