Oneida County Public Safety Dive Team leader Michael Fraley says people who are drowning aren’t shouting or waving their arms about.
“It's really a silent action. People aren't able to make noise when they're drowning. Their lungs already in trouble. They can't breathe, so they can't make noise. They're not going to be screaming like we think that they are,” said Fraley. “They're also not going to be able to wave to you. Their arms are going to be trying to keep them afloat.”
Here’s what you should be looking for:
Generally, people will up right in a vertical position. They won’t be horizontal like they’re swimming.
They usually can’t float high enough to keep their mouth consistently out of the water.
They may be looking in the wrong direction, unable to focus on anything, or have their eyes closed.
It happens quick.
“20 to 60 seconds, they say, before that person's going to be underneath the water. So, getting somebody out there that knows how to help them with some sort of a rescue device… something that person can grab onto to give them some flotation and get somebody out there that can help them as quickly as possible,” said Fraley.
Floatation devices can range from a swim or rescue buoy to a life jacket or even a swim noodle.
Fraley says about half the people that drown do so within 25 yards of another person.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings occur in the United States each year, an average of 11 deaths per day. An additional 8,000 nonfatal drownings are treated in emergency departments annually.
More children ages 1-4 die from drowning than any other cause of death. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for children ages 5-14.
The Oneida County Public Safety Dive Team is trained in rescue and recovery and get about 10 to 12 callouts per year.
