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 features an extra special hero- a woman who saved three young children from drowning while 5 months pregnant.
We know if you’ve been following us that you know about our Reach, Throw, Don’t Go position on saving someone from drowning. If someone is struggling, it does not help to put yourself in a dangerous situation as well and could potentially lead to a higher number of victims rather than saves. Alyssa Dewitt puts this rescue technique to practice in her extraordinary save. When she noticed the rough, high waves of the lake and three girls struggling within them, she did not enter the water. Instead she called 9-1-1 for help, then laid on the pier and reached for each child, pulling them to safety. We applaud her brave and safe rescue!
If you see someone struggling in rough water, please do not enter and put yourself at risk. Reach for them if you can. Throw out something that floats to help them keep their head above water. Call for help. Do no enter rough water!
Do not put yourself at risk by entering rough water. Have fun, be safe, and Reach, Throw, Don’t go!
