TO DISENGAGE FROM THE GRASP OF A DROWNING PERSON.
To rescue a suicide is a matter of much greater difficulty than even the death struggles and clutches of a person who may have been thrown into the water by accident. The determined suicide cares not what he may do to the one who attempts to prevent the act of self-destruction. In his efforts to save life it is more than probable that the rescuer will be caught by the drowning suicide, and as such a grip may prove dangerous, it is well that every swimmer should know how to act in such an emergency. It will of course stand to reason, that if one can disengage himself from a would-be suicide's grasp, the same means will enable him to shake himself clear of the clutches of one who has been accidentally immersed, no matter how hard he may struggle.
The methods to be explained have repeatedly been proved to be certain means of disengaging from the most dangerous clutches.
Should the rescuer be caught by the neck, as shown in Plate XIII., he will at first in a mild way endeavour to pull himself clear; failing in this, let him bring his knees close up to his own body, place the soles of the feet against his opponent's chest, then by a strong and sudden movement stretch the legs out to their full extent, and push the person from him, as shown in Plate XIV. If this is well done the strongest grip will be loosened, and the drowning person will be quite at the will of the rescuer, who will at once seize in the manner before described, and carry him to a place of safety.
The "Hug," as shown in Plate XV., is the worst possible predicament that a swimmer can be in, and thus caught he might in all probability be lost unless he knows the proper method of release. As will be seen, the drowning person has his arms firmly twined round his preserver's waist, both bodies being so close together that there is no room to allow of the feet being drawn up in position for a push off.
To release himself, let the rescuer put his left arm with the hand firmly closed to the small part of the drowning person's back, bring the right hand up to his face, get the thumb and second joint of the forefinger against his nostrils, then by a sudden movement press inward with the left hand, and outward with the right, these movements.
will bend the drowning person's back, and at the same time push the head under water. (See Plate XVI) Once the drowning person's head is under the surface he will relax his hold at once, and he is then at the will of his preserver.
The movements thus explained in detail may seem somewhat difficult, but in practice they will be found to be comparatively easy. Of course, as before, the person in need of help must be taken hold of at once, and brought to shore, or bank, or boat, as the case may be. We would strongly advise swimmers to practise these methods of saving life. Any number may practise together, each acting the part of rescuer and rescued in After a number of trials they will find themselves prepared for any emergency.
So effective are these means of rescue, that on approaching a struggling person, we would not for one moment hesitate to swim right into their arms rather than wait, or tire one's self in trying to get to their back. Indeed, on one occasion when swimming to the help of a drowning person, who had sank and risen to the surface times, rather than permit him to go down again and become insensible, and thus require the resuscitation process, we swam right up to him in front, when he was dashing his arms about and clutching at anything. He was got safely out, and in a short time was able to stand up, although it was some time before he recovered from the shock and excitement consequent on his coming into such close quarters with the " king of terrors." If he had been allowed to sink again, the probability is that he would have been more difficult to reach, restoration to consciousness would have occupied some time, and the shock to the system would have been much greater.