Everyone wants to play in the water to cool off in the hot summer, but there are always shocking drowning accidents in the news. In Taiwan, an average of 902 people drown each year, and 536 people die from drowning. Therefore, when you go to the beach or the river, you must understand the necessary safety rules so that you can go out happily and go home safely.
Taipei, TAIWAN (Merxwire) – Every summer, people want to play in the water to cool off, but almost every day having unexpected news of drowning. According to statistics from the National Fire Agency (NFA) in Taiwan, there were an average of about 902 drownings every year in Taiwan in the past five years, of which 536 were killed by drowning and 25 were missing.
The main months of accidents are from June to October, with the largest number of drowning accidents in July, and the main period is from 2pm to 4pm. “Rivers” accounted for the largest proportion of accidents at about 44%, followed by “seaside” with about 23%, and swimming pool accidents accounted for 6.62%.
Keep calm, increase your buoyancy and save yourself.
Drowning has a high mortality rate in accidents due to rapid deterioration of physical condition and difficulty in calling for help. Nearly 90% of the drowning people had obvious water inflow into the lungs, and the rest were caused by the spasm of the throat muscles causing airway obstruction. The gas exchange in the lungs is affected and resulted in suffocation. The oxygen content in the blood will drop rapidly, carbon dioxide cannot be eliminated, resulting in acidosis. It would affect heart function. Severe cases can lead to cardiac arrest and brain hypoxia, and then death.
When an accident occurs, the drowning person will have laryngospasm and tight closure due to choking or tension, so it is difficult to make a sound and shout for help. It is also not easy to vigorously wave or slap the water for help when you cannot breathe. Therefore, unless there are people who can be rescued immediately, it’s usually hard to be rescued or the golden rescue time will be missed.
Therefore, you must be vigilant when playing water and swimming. If you find that you have signs of drowning, you must first stay calm, maintain your physical strength, and try to use your body or the tools around you to keep your body afloat. Don’t panic, slow down your breath and let your limbs and muscles relax to increase your buoyancy. The jellyfish float or the upward float can be used to let the body surface, waiting for rescue or the crisis to be resolved.
Choose your location carefully and avoid unsafe situations.
To avoid danger when playing or swimming, the first thing is to choose the location carefully. It is recommended not to go to irregular shoals to avoid being hit by the current or stepping on algae and slipping. The water flow in the low dam area is more likely to let you injure or trap, and it is not recommended to go. The deep pools are not suitable for visiting because the water quality is turbid and unclear, and the depth and conditions of the pools cannot be determined. Vortexes are easy to form at the turns of the river bank, which is very dangerous and should be avoided. If there are signs that prohibit splashing in the water or said it’s dangerous, you should not go into the water.
Before going to play in the water, check the weather forecast first to avoid poor visibility due to heavy rain or skyrocketing streams, which will also affect the rescue of firefighters. Choose legal and safe waters, there must be lifesaving equipment and lifeguards on site, and companions must be together. Pay attention to your physical condition on the day. If you are not suitable for going into the water, don’t force it. Before entering the water, you must do a good warm-up exercise. Wear a bright swimsuit and a swimming cap, and be sure to wear a life jacket for activities that require it.
Playing in the water when the weather is hot will really help to cool down and relieve the heat. Only by grasping the safety principles and doing all kinds of preventive measures can you have fun and feel at ease. In normal swimming training, you can ask the coach to teach and practice how to deal with drowning. Practice keeping your eyes open and looking at objects in the water and learn the correct way to wear a life jacket. Go into the water with your practice clothes on to get used to swimming with resistance while wearing your clothes.
Usually doing more preparation to give yourself a chance to save yourself from danger in times of crisis, so that you can go out happily and go home safely.