THE PROPER METHOD TO BE ADOPTED IN RESCUING DROWNING PERSONS BY SWIMMING TO THEIR RELIEF.
"Courage and humanity are the greatest of Nature's adornments." —Darling.
This is something that every swimmer ought to know. Many of our best swimmers shrink involuntarily from making the attempt to save a fellow-creature in danger of perishing.
The first requisites in order to effect a rescue successfully are courage and presence of mind. Always approach the person in danger from behind. If clothed seize the person by the collar of his coat, or if naked by the hair of the head, press your knee in the small of his back, as shown in Fig. 47 ; this will straighten out the body horizontally, while the strain upon the arm of the rescuer in towing him will keep the face of the person rescued clear of the water (Fig. 48), thus enabling him to breathe freely, the rescuer using his right arm and limbs to enable him to reach the shore or other position of safety.
When the person endangered keeps turning round, as some have done with the writer, it is best to swim around them until the person can be so seized as mentioned, from behind, thus avoiding the drowning person's grasp; which is very tenacious. Should you,1Apw ever, happen to be seized by the grasp of a drowning person, whicii so frequently proves fatal to both, do not lose your presence of mind, but having taken a full breath allow yourself to sink with the person. In nine cases out of ten he will let go his hold and endeavor to reach the surface, believing that you are also in danger of drowning.
Should, however, the grasp be retained, endeavor to force them away by pressing the knees against the abdomen. In either case you can then seize the person from behind, rise to the surface and strike out for shore, as already described.
The writer has frequently encountered persons who acted in both ways, and is therefore speaking from a long experience.
' Another good plan is for the rescuer to throw himself upon his back, placing the person's head on the pit of his own stomach, as shown in Fig. 49, kicking out vigorously with his legs at right angles, as in back swimming, having previously taken a line of alignment to steer by. .
In this way he can accomplish a rescue with much greater ease. The author on one occasion rescued two persons in this way, for which he received the Bronze Medal of the Royal Humane Society. When the person has sunk and it becomes necessary to dive, you can be guided by the air bubbles which rise to the surface, perpendicularly if the water is still, and diagonally if the stream is running (Fig. 50).
Immediately on reaching the bottom, seize the per.-on, a slight jerk will suffice to raise the body, and the' surface may be reached in a few seconds by pressing the water downward with the disengaged hand and both feet in the usual way (Fig. 51').
1 t may be, owing to the discoloration of the water or other causes, the person who sank reaches the surface while the would-be resceer is searching beneath. In such a case it is best to await above for a re-appearance.
The following case is recorded, being interesting A man accidentally fell into a river ; being unable to swim, he an.k almost immediately ; a brave young fellow, in the desire to save his life, dived in the direction he was last seen. While the rescuer was down searching for the man who sank, the latter rose to the surface. The rescuer coming up, found the man had sunk for the second time ; instead of diving again the fellow swam round until the man again came to the surface, when the rescuer seized him by the back and towed him ashore.
Before making the attempt at rescue, divest yourself of as much clothing as possible, tearing them off if necessary, at all events remove your boots if time permits. There may be cases when time will not permit the removal of any portion of clothing. It was particularly so in the rescue of a young man in Toronto Bay, August, 1884, when the author plunged in with all his clothes on, including boots, but was seized by the drowning youth in such a manner that both sank ; rising to the surface, however, he struck out again for the shore and reached shallow water in safety. • I have been frequently asked- why a drowning person rises to the surface two or three times. My own belief is that the air remaining in the lungs may not become entirely exhausted at the first immersion, consequently the body possesses sufficient buoyancy to rise again. This may be repeated a second or even a third time, according to the quantity of air in the lungs.
The rescuer should at all times be governed by circumstances in his efforts to reach the shore, always taking care to avoid wasting his strength against an adverse tide, by which he may be lost as well as the person for whom he risked his life ; whereas if he had patiently floated on his back, a boat or other aid may arrive, and his effort be thus crowned with success.