Stories of amazing rescues. Luck or chosenness?
Very often, in extreme situations, a person’s life hangs literally by a thread. And it is completely unclear how the victim sometimes manages to cheat death.
What is this, providence or a happy coincidence?
Who controls our destinies? On whom does salvation depend?
In the article below, you will learn about the most incredible examples of saving people from hopeless situations. Cases that could hardly be imagined even in the worst nightmare.
You will meet simple heroes who, thanks to the strength of their spirit, or God knows what else, survived in situations in which they should have died.
Our first heroine that we present is a charming model Katrina Burgess .
Looking at that pretty, sweet face, I can’t believe that there are eleven metal rods in the middle of this girl’s body!!!
Can you imagine?
She often has problems going through a metal detector.
This is a real iron lady.
Katrina found herself in a situation in which, by all standards, she should not have survived.
But she survived and lives against all odds.
Flying into a ditch at a speed of over one hundred kilometers per hour, it is difficult to hope for a miracle.
But Katrina survived, although she suffered terrible injuries. She had a broken neck, a broken spine, a damaged pelvis, punctured lungs, and many other minor injuries.
In order for Katrina to live a full life, doctors had to insert eleven metal rods into her body, as well as many screws and pins.
Six titanium rods, with the help of a screw, hold the ridge, and the cervical spine is attached to it. How...((
The girl lived for five months thanks to painkillers. But she found the strength not only to survive, but also to live, to the envy of many, the most fulfilling life. Today she is a famous model!
Yes, yes, despite the fact that this profession requires excellent control of your body and excellent health.
Katrina is still not much inferior to her competitors. Strength of spirit and optimism help her delight others with a charming smile.
Truman Duncan - I miraculously got out of trouble... Our next hero is an American Truman Duncan.
Extreme situation
happened to him at work.
This is a simple American railroad worker who miraculously survived in a situation in which he should have definitely died.
While moving on a handcar, he stumbled and fell on the front wheels...
An attempt to somehow hold on was unsuccessful. It was pulled between the wheels and the platform of the trolley.
So he was stretched out terrible, full of pain and suffering, 25 meters.
Despite the terrible pain, Truman was able to call 911.
Help took a long forty-five minutes to arrive.
Wild, inhuman pain overshadowed consciousness.
It would seem that the end is inevitable, but Duncan was saved.
Or rather, its two halves, torn almost in half.
He had to endure 23 operations, he lost his pelvis and both legs, lost one kidney, but, despite everything, he remained alive.
Truman was saved only by the fact that, despite his terrible condition, he did not panic.
With shaking hands, overcoming the crazy pain, looking at the spreading insides, he found the strength to pull the phone out of his significant other’s pocket and call the rescue service.
Julian Koepke - I really wanted to survive... What do you think is more life-threatening: a lightning strike, a plane crash, or nine days alone in the rainforest?
To a young girl Julian Koepke I had to experience this whole “cocktail” overnight.
This incident occurred back in 1971 in Peru. At an altitude of about three kilometers, the plane in which the girl was was struck by lightning.
As a result of the explosion, it fell into pieces.
The chances of salvation were zero...
But the girl was still alive.
Julian fell out along with the row of seats to which she was fastened.
After a crazy, rapid fall, fragments of the plane fell to the ground.
disaster victims in Egypt The unfortunate passengers of the liner, 92 people died instantly.
After a while, only Juliana woke up.
Next to the flaming wreckage of the liner and the corpses of people.
The girl’s collarbone was broken, her arm was torn to the bone, and her right eye was completely closed from the blow.
The body was scary to look at.
Complete bruises, open wounds and deep scratches...
But, most importantly, she could somehow walk.
And this is the second luck.
It’s simply amazing how, after falling from such a height, we managed to keep our arms and legs intact. According to Julian, the chairs rotated during the fall, like helicopter blades. Apparently, this slowed down the speed of the fall, and then soft crowns of trees stood in their way.
And then, fate for the third time turned out to be favorable to the unfortunate girl.
Her father was a biologist and repeatedly took his daughter with him to the rainforest.
She knew how to behave there and where to find food.
And while wandering towards the stream, Julian went with the flow towards the river, knowing that where there was big water, you can meet people... And her calculation was 100% justified. Nine days later she was met by local fishermen.
It is difficult to imagine what horrors and nightmares the unfortunate girl had to endure in the wild jungle. The local natives were extremely surprised how she managed to survive these tropical nights.
Having experienced such extreme situation
, the girl nevertheless retained her love of nature. After some time, she became a zoologist.
Julian was saved by luck and knowledge of the jungle. Luck combined with survival skills in the wild.
Keri McCartney - My baby is alive and well... And this is not a typo. Truly an unusual case of saving a small human being.
American woman four months pregnant Keri McCartney I learned that a large tumor was discovered in the unborn child.
If it is not removed, the child will not survive.
There was only one way out - to partially remove the child, remove the tumor, then place him back.
But this is in theory. But there have never been such cases in medical practice.
In fact, if everything ends well, the baby will have to be born twice...
It’s fantastic, but American doctors brilliantly managed to carry out this most complex operation. The further pregnancy passed without complications, the child was born healthy.
This story took place in 1972 in the Andes.
After the plane crash, 35 of the 45 passengers on board survived.
Are the survivors lucky?
Well, that's how to say it. They had to endure terrible trials.
The victims had to hold out in the mountains 72 days, no food, no winter clothes.
photo from the archive 1972 To say that the conditions were terrible is to say nothing. Only sixteen people were able to survive forced captivity in the mountains. The rest died from hunger, cold and sudden death.
To survive, the unwitting captives of the mountains were forced to eat their dead relatives and friends.
Fortunately, if it can be called a blessing, the bodies were well preserved in conditions of sub-zero temperatures.
The only thing that connected them with the outside world was the radio and the soul-warming hope that they would be found.
But one day they announced on the radio that the search had been stopped...
It’s hard to imagine the state of people when their last hope went out, like a fading, homemade wick from a piece of a burnt shirt...
It became dark and terribly cold again. There was no choice... And three of them, the most desperate, without food or mining equipment, went for help...
No one knows what they had to endure and how to survive during these twelve days of wandering through the mountains.
They managed to reach people, they won.
This story of amazing salvation
formed the basis of a film and a book was written.
This is evidence of amazing survival in extreme situation.
This is an example of boundless courage 16 ordinary people in a hopeless situation.
Read the continuation in the next collection stories of amazing rescues . Don't miss out, subscribe to receive the latest articles, share below with your friends.
And take care of yourself! Modern world sometimes presents.
In places where there are bodies of water, there is always a danger of drowning. In winter, fishermen may not calculate the thickness of the ice and end up trapped in ice. And in warm time year, the number of victims increases several times. Any person who is a good swimmer should know the rules for rescuing a drowning person on the water. After all, having necessary information, you can not only help a person, but also protect yourself from an accident.
You must be able to calculate your strength and act very quickly. After all, a person’s life is in your hands, and any delay is fraught with grave consequences. In the first minutes, it is much easier to resuscitate a drowning person. After all, the water will not yet have time to enter the alveoli of the lungs.
While on vacation, people relax, lose the ability to think rationally and often overestimate their strength. Those who know how to swim try to swim far into the sea, showing their skills. Having warmed up in the sun, beachgoers go to cool off in the cold water. Not everyone knows that a sudden change in temperature can cause a cramp in the leg or arms. The parents were distracted and did not look after the child. Children do not yet have a sense of fear and can go deep without understanding the consequences.
A separate group includes extreme sports enthusiasts who are chasing adrenaline, doing everything necessary for this. They swim in a storm, jump from a cliff into the water, go on rubber boat far out to sea. Often become victims deep water people who are under the influence of alcohol. They, as the saying goes, are knee-deep in the sea.
Before you rush into the water to save a drowning person, you need to make sure that the person is really drowning. How can this be recognized from the shore?
Before you rush to save a drowning man, you need to think about the situation. Be sure to ask someone to call water rescue and emergency services. If possible, you need to quickly take off your clothes. If this cannot be done, then you need to at least turn the pockets outward. Be sure to take off your shoes. After all, water quickly accumulates, which interferes with movements and pulls strongly to the bottom.
It makes sense to throw yourself into the water to save a drowning person if the rescuer can swim well. Health allows you to withstand strong loads, since a drowning person can instinctively grab his rescuer tightly, hit him, pull him to the bottom, and drown him. You need to be prepared for such a turn of events and know how to get out of strong hands a desperate man.
You also need to check where it is best to start rescuing a drowning person. It is advisable to choose the closest point on the shore. It is better to run more along the shore than to swim further on the water. You should also not jump into the water in an unfamiliar place, as there may be pitfalls there. Need to come in quickly.
When rescuing a person, take some kind of floating device with you: an inflatable ring, a ball, a board. Any object that a drowning person can grab onto will be useful. Otherwise, he will have to hold on only to you and it will be a problem to bring him to shore.
If you have to rescue a fisherman who has fallen under the ice, then you cannot approach him while standing, you must advance while lying on the ice. You can give him a long stick, a net, a ladder, or a whole fishing rod. You can create a chain of people lying on the ice and holding each other. This will be the safest way.
To quickly swim to a drowning person, it is better to use the crawl style of swimming. You should always approach the victim from behind. Since a person experiencing a panic state is able to hit you, start drowning you, block your movements and pose a threat. This must be remembered and guarded against.
If you can’t swim up to him from behind, then you need to dive under the person and grab him tightly under the knee. With your free hand, sharply push the other knee forward and, thus, turn the victim’s back to you.
When the drowning person is already with his back to you, you need to grab his armpit with your right hand right hand and firmly fixing it, float to the surface of the water. You need to move towards the shore on your back, supporting the person’s head above the water.
Actions when rescuing a drowning person are associated with great risk. A drowning person is frightened, in a state of shock and may grab his rescuer with his hands. This threatens the death of a person who wants to help. You need to be able to act correctly in such situations and, without losing your mind, use force to free yourself from the deadly embrace.
When getting rid of the grip, you need to twist yourself, press on your chin, twist your arms reverse side, but don't release it. You need to try to wriggle out sharply, while explaining and reassuring the person with words.
Methods for rescuing drowning people can be different, depending on the situation and how much the person resists and in what condition he is. As a rule, a person is towed while lying on his back or side. You can hold him by the head, armpits, by the arm in the shoulder area, by the hair or collar if he is wearing clothes.
When delivering a person to shore, you need to carefully ensure that his head is above the surface of the water at all times so that it does not get into his respiratory tract. When a rescuer swims sideways, he can navigate the terrain and choose the shortest route for rescue.
If the lifeguard had the opportunity to take life-saving equipment from the shore, such as a circle or a ball, that people have on the beach, then the drowning person must be forced to clasp them with his hands. Of course, if the person is still conscious.
The actions to take when rescuing a drowning person depend on the type of drowning. There are three types of them.
When rescuing a drowning person, you must first check for breathing and a heartbeat. If vital signs are present, then you need to remove his wet clothes and lay him down so that his head is down or on his side. Cover with a warm blanket. If a person is able to drink, then you can give him a warm drink.
When a person is unconscious, you need to get down on one knee, put the person with his stomach on the other knee, head down. Try to clear the sand from his mouth and straighten his tongue forward to prevent it from sticking. The water that has entered the body should pour out. Only after this should resuscitation begin. According to the rules for rescuing a drowning person, you need to do artificial respiration and chest compressions.
To perform artificial respiration, the person is placed on hard surface, under the neck - a cushion. For a person to begin to breathe, his lungs must fill with air. To do this, the rescuer takes a deep breath, bends over the mouth of the drowned person and exhales into his respiratory tract. If the chest rises, it means that air has entered his lungs. This should be done every 1-2 seconds. There should be at least 30 exhalations per minute.
During breaks, cardiac massage is performed. It's better when it's done by a second person. The palms of two hands are placed on the person’s chest in the area of the heart, one on top of the other. Rhythmically and strongly pressing on the sternum. You need to do 15 presses in 10 seconds. Resuscitation continues until the person comes to his senses. This can happen for quite a long time. But under no circumstances should we stop. According to statistics, most of the rescued people did not survive only because resuscitation efforts were stopped.
Be sure to call an ambulance, because rescuing a drowning person in the water is a lengthy process.
Summer is a time of vacations and relaxation on the water, but there is a lot associated with this fun time dangerous situations. One of them is drowning. Saving a drowning person is exactly the situation when you need to act as quickly as possible. Any delay or inaction may cost human life, and the timeliness of assistance is often more important than its quality.
More than 90% of victims survive if help is provided in the first minute after drowning. If help comes within 6-7 minutes, then the chances of survival will be much lower - 1-3%. That's why It is very important not to panic, pull yourself together and start acting. Of course, it is better for professional rescuers to provide assistance, but if they are not nearby, it is better to try to help to the best of your ability than to do nothing.
If you see a drowning person, the first thing you need to do is call rescuers. You can swim to rescue yourself only if you are confident that you are swimming well and feel well. Under no circumstances should you swim at random and join the ranks of drowned people. It is necessary to swim up to a drowning person strictly from behind, so that he does not grab the rescuer in frantic attempts to escape. Remember, a drowning person does not control himself and can easily prevent you from swimming and even pull you under water, and it will be very difficult to free yourself from his convulsive grip.
If the drowning person has already completely immersed himself in the water, you need to swim to him along the bottom and at the same time take into account the direction of the current and its speed. When the drowning person is within reach, you need to take him under the armpits, by the arm or by the hair and pull him out of the water. In this case, it is important to push off strongly enough from the bottom and actively work with your free arm and legs.
Once you are above the water, it is important to keep the drowning person's head above the surface of the water. After that it is necessary to try to deliver the victim to shore as quickly as possible to provide first aid.
In order to effectively provide first aid to a drowning person, it is necessary to understand what drowning is and what types of it doctors distinguish. Drowning is a condition in which the airways become blocked, preventing air from entering the lungs, resulting in oxygen deprivation. There are three types of drowning and they all have their own characteristics.
White asphyxia or imaginary drowning This is a reflex cessation of breathing and heart function. Typically, with this type of drowning, a very small amount of water enters the respiratory tract, which leads to spasm of the glottis and cessation of breathing. White asphyxia is relatively safe for humans, since the chances of returning to life remain even 20-30 minutes after immediate drowning.
Blue asphyxia is real drowning, which occurs when water enters the alveoli. Typically, drowning people have a blue tint to their ears and face, and their fingertips and lips are purple-blue. It is possible to save such a victim if only 4-6 minutes have occurred since the moment of drowning.
Drowning due to decreased function nervous system usually occurs after cold shock or while heavily intoxicated. Respiratory and cardiac arrest usually occurs 5-12 minutes after drowning.
In the event of drowning, even if the victim is conscious and feels relatively well, An ambulance must be called. But before her arrival, you need to try to provide first aid to the victim, and the first thing to do is check his vital signs. If breathing and pulse are present, then you need to lay the person on a hard, dry surface and lower his head. Be sure to rid him of wet clothes, rub him and warm him up, if he can drink, give him a warm drink.
If the victim is unconscious, then after removing him from the water, you can try to clean his mouth and nose, pull his tongue out of his mouth and begin artificial respiration. You can often hear recommendations for removing water from the lungs, but this is not necessary; in most cases, there is either very little water or no water at all, since it has already been absorbed into the blood.
The most effective method of performing artificial respiration in the event of drowning is considered to be the classic “mouth to mouth”. If it is not possible to unclench the victim’s jaws, then you can use the “mouth to nose” method.
Typically, artificial respiration begins with exhalation. If the chest rises, then everything is normal and the air is passing through; you can make several blows, pressing on the stomach after each blow to help the air escape.
If the victim does not have a heartbeat, it is important to perform indirect cardiac massage in parallel with artificial respiration. To do this, you need to place your palm at a distance of two fingers from the base of the sternum and cover the second. Then press quite hard, using your body weight, 4-5 times and inflate. The speed of pressing should depend on the age of the victim. For infants, pressure is applied with two fingers at a speed of 120 pressures per minute, for children under 8 years old at a speed of 100 times per minute, and for adults - 60-70 times per minute. In this case, the sternum of an adult should bend by 4-5 centimeters, and in a child under 8 years old - 3-4 cm, in an infant - 1.5-2 cm.
It is necessary to carry out resuscitation until breathing and pulse are restored on their own or until undeniable signs of death appear, such as rigor or cadaveric spots. One of the most common mistakes when providing first aid is the premature cessation of resuscitation measures.
Usually, when performing artificial respiration, water is released from the respiratory tract, which got there during drowning. In such a situation, it is necessary to turn the victim’s head to the side so as to allow the water to flow out and continue resuscitation. If resuscitation is performed correctly, water will flow out of the lungs on its own, so squeezing it out or lifting the victim upside down makes no sense.
After the victim comes to his senses and breathing is restored, it is necessary to take him to the hospital, since deterioration of his condition after improvement is practically the norm for drowning. The victim should not be left unattended for a single minute, as swelling of the brain or lungs, respiratory and cardiac arrest can begin at any minute.
There are quite a lot of prejudices and rumors associated with rescuing drowning people. We will remind you of some rules and features of resuscitation measures in case of drowning. It is important to remember these rules and use them in a real situation.
Resuscitation measures must be carried out even if a person has been under water for a long time. Cases of revival have been described full restoration the patient's condition even after an hour of being under water. Therefore, if a person spent 10-20 minutes under water, this does not mean that he died and there is no need to save him, this is especially important when resuscitating children.
If during resuscitation measures the stomach contents are released into the oropharynx, it is necessary to carefully turn the victim to one side, trying to ensure that the relative position of the head, neck and torso does not change, then clear the mouth and, turning it to its original position, continue resuscitation.
If there is a suspicion of damage to the spine, especially its cervical region, then airway patency must be ensured without tilting the victim’s head, but simply by using the technique of “pushing the lower jaw forward.” If this action does not help, then you can throw your head back, despite the suspicion of spinal injuries, since ensuring airway patency is a priority action when rescuing unconscious patients.
Resuscitation efforts can be stopped only if the signs of respiratory failure have completely disappeared. If there is a violation of the respiratory rhythm, rapid breathing or severe cyanosis, it is necessary to continue resuscitation efforts.
The main means and methods of water rescue are:
If the victim is far from the shore and is capable of independent active actions, then he needs to throw one of the special life-saving equipment described below.
You need to take the lifebuoy with one hand, grab the rail (rope) with the other hand, do 2-3 circular motion with an outstretched arm at shoulder level and throw it flat towards the drowning person. The throw should be made so that the circle falls at a distance of 0.5-1.5 m from the person. You should not throw the circle directly at him - this can lead to injury. When throwing a circle from a boat, you need to do it from the stern or bow. The victim can hold on to a circle, a handrail, or wear a circle on his belt.
“Alexandrov’s End” should be taken by the large loop and made 2-3 turns of the rope, the small loop and the rest of the rope should be held in the other hand. After making several swings of the hand with a large loop, “Alexandrov’s end” is thrown to the victim. He, in turn, must put the loop over his head under his arms or hold him by the floats. After this, the victim is pulled to the shore.
You can grab the rescue balloons with one hand and grab the rope connecting them with the other hand. After completing 2-3 swings, throw the balls to the victim.
Watercraft. When assisting a drowning person, boats can be used. You need to approach the victim very carefully, taking into account the direction of the wind and current, so as not to injure him with the oar, boat hull, or motor. The victim can be lifted on board or transported to shore by water.
Most often, a drowning person has to be helped by swimming. This method requires rescuers to be able to swim well, dive, transport victims in the water, provide assistance, and know how to free themselves from grips.
Before entering the water, you need to quickly assess the situation, approach the drowning person along the shore, enter the water and swim towards him. If the victim controls his actions, he should hold on to the rescuer’s shoulders and swim to the shore with him. In case of uncontrolled behavior of a drowning person, it is necessary to approach him from the back, capture him and transport him to the shore. During transportation, the victim's head should be above the water.
If the victim has sank to the bottom of the reservoir and is lying with his back on the ground, then you need to swim up to him from the side of the head, grab him under the armpits, push off from the bottom and rise to the surface of the water. If the victim is located on his side or stomach, you need to swim to him from the legs. The search for a victim under water is carried out using a mask or special glasses, and if they are missing, you can open your eyes under water. If there is a current, the possibility of the victim being carried away must be taken into account.
The main condition for providing assistance to a drowning person is the prompt implementation of the entire range of work. This is due to the fact that after 5-6 minutes of being under water, irreversible processes begin in the body and the person dies.
It must be remembered that a drowning person poses a real threat to those who help him. Overcome by fear, he does not control his actions, makes chaotic movements, and can strongly grab a person nearby and plunge into the water together with him. Taking this into account, you need to swim up to a drowning person from the back, act clearly, unceremoniously, and, if necessary, harshly, try to avoid grabs. If this happens, you need to get rid of them as quickly as possible.
One of the reliable and effective ways release from capture is considered to be going under water with the victim, who will definitely let go of the rescuer and try to rise to the surface to take a breath.
It is not uncommon for several drowning children to be in the water at the same time. In this situation, the most dangerous thing is that the rescuer is captured by several victims at the same time.
When approaching a group of drowning people, you need to select the victim who is in the most critical situation and provide assistance to him.
To maintain buoyancy in water, people need to throw floating objects. In order to speed up the rescue operation, it is advisable to use a boat. You need to swim to a drowning person against the current; in windy weather, against the wind and waves. If the boat is equipped with a motor, victims should be lifted into it from the stern. This must be done overboard. You need to squat or kneel in the boat, which will prevent it from rocking and prevent it from capsizing.
When lifting a victim onto a swimming craft, it is necessary to exclude the possibility of injury from sharp and protruding parts. If it is not possible to lift the victim onto the ship, he should throw a life-saving device.
The maximum permissible load of the boat should ensure a side height above the water surface of 25 cm. If the boat is operated in windy weather, at night, on an unknown body of water, the free side height above the water should be 50 cm.
After removing a person from the water, it is necessary to immediately begin providing first aid, the degree of which is determined taking into account the condition of the victim.
Concept and main causes of drowning
Drowning is understood as a complex of changes in the body that ultimately lead to death due to the closure of the airways by liquid. When drowning, there is a forced cessation of air access to the respiratory tract, gas exchange is disrupted, and hypoxia (lack of oxygen in the blood) quickly develops. 5-6 minutes after immersion under water, irreversible processes begin in the body and the person dies.
Signs of drowning are:
foaming from the mouth;
respiratory and cardiac arrest;
blue discoloration of the skin;
pupil dilation.
There are three types of drowning:
true;
syncopal.
True drowning occurs as a result of water (liquid) entering the respiratory tract and lungs of a person, which prevents the flow of air. The skin turns blue, foamy fluid comes out of the mouth and nose.
Dry drowning occurs as a result of spasm of the vocal cords (laryngospasm) when entering the upper respiratory tract small quantity fluid that does not enter the lungs. The victim loses consciousness and immediately sinks to the bottom.
Syncopal (pale) drowning occurs as a result of a sudden stop in the heartbeat and breathing.
Main causes of drowning:
violation of rules of conduct on water, obviously dangerous actions;
inability to swim;
rapid, turbulent flow of water flow;
spasm of the respiratory tract when unexpectedly entering cold water (“cold shock”);
injuries, loss of consciousness in water;
neglect of personal protective equipment;
diving in unknown places;
swimming in dangerous places: fast currents, presence of algae and foreign objects in water, strong waves, spillways, navigable fairways;
cramps, fatigue, hypothermia.
Let's look at some of them. Prolonged exposure to water can cause involuntary, painful muscle contractions called cramps. Most often, cramps involve the calf muscles, which prevents active actions with the legs. In this situation, you need to take a deep breath, plunge vertically into the water with your head, straighten your legs, grab your big toes with your hands and pull strongly towards you.
A positive effect is achieved by massaging the affected muscles. In case of muscle cramps on the front surface of the thigh, you need to bend your knees as much as possible and pull (press) them with your hands to the back surface of the thigh.
Abdominal muscle cramps are eliminated by pulling the legs bent at the knees towards the stomach.
Arm muscle cramps are eliminated by clenching and unclenching fists, bending and straightening the arms at the elbow joint.
Having eliminated the cramps, you need to swim to the shore, as they can seize the muscles again. If cramps have seized your legs and they cannot be eliminated, you need to lie on your back and swim to the shore, working with your hands. If your hands are affected, then you need to work with your feet. The main thing in this difficult situation is to mobilize all forces to get out of the current emergency situation, suppress fear and panic.
Drowning can be caused by whirlpools. They form in places where rivers have strong flows, on bends, behind large rocks, over uneven bottoms, or when a ship is flooding. Rotational movement The water in the whirlpool can be so strong that it is quite difficult to get out of it. A whirlpool pulls a person under water, spins him, disrupts coordination of movements, and causes dizziness. If you get into a whirlpool, you must take a horizontal body position and try to swim out without dangerous place. If the whirlpool tightens, then you need to take a deep breath, dive and swim underwater as far as possible to the side. This is much more difficult to do on the surface of the water. To orient yourself underwater in the “up and down” direction, you need to release several air bubbles from your mouth, which always rise upward.
Algae also pose a danger to humans in water. They can wrap loops around the legs, arms, and torso, hinder movement and cause drowning. Algae is especially dangerous for divers. If you find yourself in a place overgrown with algae, you need to take a horizontal body position, do not make sudden movements, and carefully leave the dangerous place. If algae has caught the body, you should carefully loosen the loops of the plants with your hands, while the movements should be calm, unhurried, and confident. After liberation, you need to swim in the direction from which you came.
One of the causes of drowning is high waves. If they are present, it is better to stay away from the water. Swimming in these conditions is associated with increased risk, constant crashing of wave peaks onto a person, which leads to loss of strength, disruption of breathing rhythm, water entering the respiratory tract, and the need for frequent immersion under water in order to avoid wave impacts. The danger comes from waves coming from the shore; they can carry a person far into the water. Finding yourself in such conditions, you need to get to the shore as quickly as possible.
A person can drown if they lose consciousness as a result of a decrease in oxygen supply to the brain when holding their breath while diving. The situation is aggravated by the fact that a critical condition occurs unexpectedly, the victim loses consciousness under water, he cannot independently counteract the incident or call for help.
A person can find himself in the water either of his own free will (swimming, spearfishing, fishing) or completely by accident (a boat accident, falling into the water, providing assistance to victims).
To prevent a person from diving under water, several methods can be used:
ability to swim;
maintaining a horizontal or vertical body position through active movements of the arms and legs;
adopting the “float” pose;
use of objects floating in water and special life-saving equipment.
Swimming refers to an active way of keeping a person on the water and moving, but it is associated with great physical effort and rapid fatigue.
To relax on the water, you can use the supine position: lie on your back, spread your arms and legs, close your eyes, put your head on the water, relax, breathe deeply and calmly, maintain a horizontal position by working your arms and legs. This pose is the safest and less tiring.
Relaxation on the water is provided by the “float” pose. To perform it, you need to take a deep breath, immerse your face in the water, clasp your knees with your hands and press them to your body, exhale slowly into the water. After you finish exhaling, you should raise your head, inhale, lower your head into the water and exhale under water.
To relax in the water, you can use various objects floating in it (boards, logs, pieces of foam, etc.).
Calm, confident behavior a person in the water will allow you to stay on its surface for a long time, wait for help, gain strength and independently get to the shore.
Random floundering in the water leads to a rapid loss of strength and water entering the respiratory tract, which contributes to drowning.
A drowning man waves his arms chaotically, asks for help, periodically goes under water and comes up. In this situation, he needs immediate help. The main task is to quickly remove the victim from the water to the shore or boat. If assistance is provided in the first minute after drowning, the outcome may be positive in 90% or more of cases; after 5-6 minutes, the number of successful outcomes decreases sharply.
A drowning person must direct all his strength to stay on the surface of the water as much as possible, independently reach the shore, and ensure safety on the shore.
One of the main preventive measures Drowning prevention is swimming training. You can learn to swim and stay confident on the water quite quickly. The ability to swim and stay afloat is one of the conditions for preserving life during a flood and other emergency situations on the water.
To effectively assist victims in water, it is necessary to know basic rescue techniques, have means of assistance available, and be able to use them.
First aid for drowning
If the victim is conscious, his breathing and pulse are not impaired, it is enough to lay him down, give him a hot drink, warm him up and calm him down.
In case of unconsciousness of a drowned person, immediately after removing him from the water, it is necessary:
turn face down and lower your head (the head should be below the level of the pelvis);
clear the mouth of foreign contents and sharply press on the root of the tongue;
when gag and cough reflexes appear, achieve complete removal of water from the respiratory tract and stomach;
in case of pulmonary edema development: sit down, apply tourniquets to the thighs and, if possible, inhale oxygen through alcohol vapor;
If breathing and cardiac activity stop, immediately begin to restore them. Basic resuscitation measures include artificial respiration and chest compressions.
Artificial respiration. It is carried out in case of respiratory arrest. The main methods of artificial respiration are: “mouth to mouth”, “mouth to nose”, “mouth to stoma”.
Artificial respiration is carried out by forcibly filling the respiratory tract of the victim with exhaled air from the person providing first aid.
Exhaled air contains 16% oxygen, which is sufficient to maintain the vital functions of the body, excite the respiratory center and restore breathing.
To perform artificial respiration, it is necessary to place the victim on his back, clean him oral cavity from foreign objects, tilt your head back and lift your chin, which will clear the airways. Next, you need to make a hole with a diameter of 3-5 cm in the fabric (handkerchief, gauze, napkin), cover the victim’s face with it so that the hole coincides with his mouth. Pinch the victim's nose with your thumb and index fingers, take a deep breath, press your lips tightly against his, and exhale forcefully into his mouth. After lifting the chest, release the victim's lips and allow air to escape.
In some cases, it is necessary to exhale air through the victim’s nose. To do this, cover the nose with the mouth and exhale forcefully.
Among the victims may be people who have undergone surgery on the respiratory tract, and therefore they use a special tube - a stoma - to breathe. Such victims need to close their mouth and nose and inhale through the stoma.
The number of breathing cycles should be 10-12 times per minute.
When performing artificial respiration, it is necessary to check every minute whether cardiac arrest has occurred. If there is no pulsation of the carotid artery, you must immediately begin chest compressions, combining it with artificial respiration.
Indirect cardiac massage is performed in case of cardiac arrest to resume its work in order to restore blood circulation. It consists of rhythmic pressure with the palms of the hands on the chest, which leads to forced compression of the heart and, as a result, to the flow of blood into the arteries. As the effort weakens, the chest rises and blood flows through the veins to fill the heart. Such forced circulation blood ensures the maintenance of necessary vital functions until recovery independent work hearts. Indirect cardiac massage must be performed immediately if it stops. Signs of sudden cardiac arrest are: sudden paleness of the skin, loss of consciousness, cessation of pulse and breathing, the appearance of rare convulsive breaths, dilation of the pupils.
To perform an indirect cardiac massage, the victim must be placed on his back, on a solid base, his arms placed along his body, and his legs elevated to facilitate the flow of venous blood to the heart. The first aid provider is located on the side, places the palm of one hand so that its base is located in the lower part of the sternum, along the longitudinal axis, and the palm of the second hand is placed on top of the first to increase pressure. The pressure is applied in a vertical direction, the deflection of the chest should be 3-4 cm. The number of pressures is 75-85 times per minute. Indirect cardiac massage must be done until its functions are restored. If there are no signs of life after 25-30 minutes of massage, it should be stopped.
In order to saturate the blood with oxygen, indirect cardiac massage should be performed simultaneously with artificial respiration. At least two people must participate in this work. If this is not possible, then one person can carry out resuscitation measures.
The sequence of their implementation is as follows: it is necessary to do 2-3 cycles of artificial respiration, followed by 15-16 compressions on the chest.
This rhythm should be maintained until breathing and heartbeat functions are restored.
Every 3 minutes it is necessary to carry out control measurements of breathing and heart rate.
Indirect cardiac massage is a simple resuscitation measure that can save the life of a victim. Its effectiveness can be judged by the appearance of independent pulse and breathing, and constriction of the pupils.
The victim must be transported to a medical facility after cardiac activity and breathing have been restored. The optimal position for this is “lying on your side with your head down.”
The need for hospitalization of all victims in medical institution V in this case is associated with the danger of developing the so-called “secondary drowning”, when signs of acute respiratory failure appear, chest pain, cough, shortness of breath, feeling of lack of air, hemoptysis, agitation, increased heart rate. It remains for several days high probability development of pulmonary edema.
The main cause of drowning is the obstruction of the airways by liquid, often water. If correct first aid is provided in a timely manner, a person can be saved, so now we will tell you how to save a drowning person in the water.
Contents of the article about rescuing a drowning person on the water
According to statistics, when assistance is provided a minute after drowning, about 90% of people can be saved. After 6-7 minutes, close to 1-3% can be saved. Most often, a person drowns due to his ignoring the safety rules for being on the water, fatigue, and prolonged exposure to cold water, getting injured when diving, while intoxicated and in other situations. Also, the threat of drowning occurs when.
First aid for rescuing a drowning person on the water
When you see a drowning person, you need to quickly run to the nearest shore. If a drowning person is on the surface of the water, you must calm him down. If this does not help, swim up to the drowning person from behind, grab him and pull him to the shore. If, in a state of stress, a drowning person frantically hugs you, try to dive into the water with him. At such a moment, he will probably let go of the rescuer in order to remain on the surface. This is a subconscious action.
If you see that a drowning person is sinking to the bottom, dive and swim along the bottom. If there is good visibility underwater, swim with with open eyes, in this case your rescue actions will be faster. If you approach a drowning person, grab him by the hair, arm or armpit and float to the surface with him. To do this, push off the bottom as hard as you can and row vigorously with your legs and free arm to paddle toward the shore and.
The main methods of transporting the victim to the shore:
Assistance provided on shore
If possible, help the person anyway, whether it be water accident, disaster or the person simply did not follow safety rules.
The victim is conscious
When you swim to the shore, provide first aid to the victim, first determining his condition. If he is conscious, has a pulse and is breathing, to provide assistance you must lay him on a dry, hard surface with his head bowed low. Remove the victim's wet clothes and dry them with your hands or a dry towel. If possible, give something hot to drink (not only tea and coffee, but also a little alcohol are suitable for this), wrap it in a warm blanket and let him rest a little.
The victim is unconscious, but has a pulse and breathing
In this case, tilt his head back and extend his lower jaw. The head should be kept low. You need to use your finger to free his mouth from silt, mud and vomit. Wipe the rescued person and warm him up.
The victim is unconscious, there is no breathing, but there is a pulse
If a person is not breathing, but the pulse is preserved (the heart is beating), then the victim needs to be given artificial respiration, having first cleared the airways.
No breathing, no pulse
If the victim is not breathing and a pulse is palpable, perform artificial respiration and cardiac massage.
Transporting a drowning person to a medical facility
After cardiac activity is restored, the victim must be transported to the nearest medical facility. To transport the victim, place him on the stretcher on his side and lower the headrest. It is important to hospitalize a person quickly, as there is a danger of developing secondary drowning, during which acute respiratory failure, chest pain, cough, shortness of breath, agitation, a feeling of lack of air, coughing up blood, and increased heart rate occur. Within 15-72 hours after rescue there is a risk of developing pulmonary edema.
