Self rescue
It is important for those who are not familiar with water or accidentally enter the water to actively engage in self rescue. Firstly, after falling into the water, do not panic and maintain a clear mind. The specific method is to take a supine position, with the head facing back and the mouth facing upwards, and try to expose the mouth and nose above the water surface as much as possible to allow for breathing. When breathing, exhale shallowly and inhale deeply, which can help the body float on the water surface for others to rescue. Never raise your hand or struggle desperately, as raising your hand can easily cause a person to sink.
Swimmers who experience drowning due to spasms (cramps) in the calf and gastrocnemius muscles should stay calm and call for help in a timely manner. At the same time, one should huddle their body together, float to the surface of the water, take a deep breath, then immerse their face in the water, and lift the spasmodic (cramping) lower limb’s big toe forward and upward with force, making the big toe stand up and continue to exert force until the severe pain disappears, and the spasms stop.
Mutual aid
Ambulants should remain calm, take off their outerwear as much as possible, especially their shoes and boots, and quickly swim to the vicinity of the drowning person. For exhausted drowning victims, rescuers can approach from the head; For a conscious drowning person, the rescuer should approach from behind, hold the drowning person’s head and neck with one hand from behind, and swim towards the shore with the other hand holding the drowning person’s arm.
When rescuing, attention should be paid to preventing the drowning person from tightly hugging and getting entangled, which could cause danger for both parties. If caught, one should let go and sink, so that the drowning person’s hand can be released for further rescue.
