Swimming safety
Posted by Carole Crews on January 18, 2019, 6:33 pm
I just witnessed a woman almost drown after she got knocked down by a big wave. Fortunately, people saw that she did not come up and several of them went over in a hurry to pull her out. She looked quite limp, was given artificial respiration, and finally started breathing again. I also took her feet in my hands and pressed with my thumbs on the pressure points at the bottoms of her feet where the arch meets the pad beneath the toes, a technique I had read about and which came back to me when I saw her blue toes. Thank goodness she was not alone in some isolated spot! Professional help arrived within 10 minutes and kudos to the woman who successfully performed the artificial respiration. From kayaking and getting dumped numerous times, I have learned to read the waves, which are always stronger near the times of the new and full moons. Just because they look small and mild does not mean they will stay that way! Watch the waves for at least 5 minutes to establish the pattern of the sets. Often there will be 3, 7, 9, or some other number of large waves before they calm down again. Listen for the sounds of the bigger waves as they crash on the beach, count them carefully, and notice how much time elapses before another big set comes along. I always swim well behind the break, which is farther out for larger waves, and I wait until a set of large waves have passed before I exit the water as quickly as I can. Be careful! Cuidado! | -----------------Re: Swimming safety
Posted by Daniel H on January 18, 2019, 7:07 pm, in reply to "Swimming safety"-----------------Re: Swimming safety
Posted by Sandy S on January 18, 2019, 8:03 pm, in reply to "Swimming safety"
Will someone please let us know the outcome of this event? Thanks. | -----------------Re: Swimming safety
Posted by Mark S. on January 18, 2019, 8:56 pm, in reply to "Swimming safety"
I swim fairly far out in the ocean year round. The diciest part of the swim is usually getting through the surf zone on the way out or coming in. If the water is shallow enough for you to stand and have your shoulders out of the water, you really need to be keeping your eyes on the ocean, not the beach. Without having witnessed the incident to which Carole refers, I'm guessing the woman had her back to the ocean and, thus, wasn't ready for the wave that knocked her down. Also, it is much better (safer) to dive or duck under a breaking wave than to attempt to jump over it, as I see quite a few folks do. When you're in the zone where it is too shallow to safely dive under, turn sideways to the whitewater to reduce your surface area of your body. Solely, FYI.
| -----------------Re: Swimming safety
Posted by David Dagoli on January 18, 2019, 9:16 pm, in reply to "Re: Swimming safety"
Well-done and well-said Carole. I pulled a young woman in last year who was trapped in a rip-current in front of Chantli Mare. Luckily I had read posts that described swimming sideways or even with the current...and was able to get in to shore safely. Thanks for providing good information, and I really need to get you to show me this pressure point on the foot! | -----------------Re: Swimming safety
Posted by anne wheeler on January 19, 2019, 12:11 am, in reply to "Re: Swimming safety"
Thank you for this caution. People can get knocked out cold and suffer a concussion. We have experience this in our family. Don't swim alone. | -----------------Re: Swimming safety
Posted by Ann Lindsay on January 18, 2019, 9:28 pm, in reply to "Re: Swimming safety"
It was very fortunate for this victim that many bystanders were willing and able to help and that we have an ambulance to call when we need it. Perhaps this is a good time to remind everyone to donate a little money to the ambulance because you never know when you might need it. | -----------------
[ La Manzanilla Message Board ]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|