Every Sunday, we will share a story of a non-fatal drowning, discuss where things went wrong, and give some pointers on how to prevent it from happening to the people you love. Thankfully, these stories have happy endings for those involved, but sadly, we lose too many people to drowning every year. We hope examining these real-life stories help put the dangers of water into perspective and help you introduce various principles of water safety to your family!
Today’s story is a scary image. A man hiking a trail tries to cross a body of water and suddenly finds himself in a swift moving current. Thanks to an off-duty officer in the right place at the right time, he was rescued.
There are two major takeaways from this rescue. First, you should be very careful entering water, especially natural bodies of water, where it is hard to judge exactly what you are entering. Unlike a nice clear pool, natural bodies of water tend to be dark or murky and can change in an instant. Secondly, the rescuer did the exact right thing, instead of jumping into the dangerous water and also potentially getting into harm’s way, he threw out a rope and pulled the man into safety. Many drownings occur when adults are trying to rescue others from a drowning situation. Remember, instead of entering dangerous water, Reach, Throw, Don’t Go! Reach for the person if within a safe distance. Throw out something that will help the person stay afloat- like a lifesaver ring or anything that will float on the water. Don’t go in yourself. Call for help.
We are very thankful that this off duty officer was able to execute this rescue without putting himself into danger as well. Have fun, be safe, and remember- Reach, Throw, Don’t Go!
