A 31-year-old man has been hospitalised after an near-drowning incident at a residence in Nagina in Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal.
It is understood that a group of friends had been swimming when one of the party went under water and did not appear for for some time. The friends managed to retrieve the man and begin to make their way to the hospital.
He was revived, but was referred to hospital for further assessment. ER24 paramedics met the patient and his friends on route to the hospital.
Upon assessment, paramedics found that the man had escaped serious injury but required further assessment at hospital. Rescue workers have been urging people to be cautious around water over the holiday season.
If ever you find yourself in a similar position, always call for help or try get emergency services to the scene as a first point of all but if time does not allow it, then implement these important first aid emergency measures.
- Turn the drowning person’s head to the side, allowing any water to drain from his or her mouth and nose. Turn the head back to the center.
- Begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on land, if possible, or in the water if the injured person needs immediate life-and-death measures.
- Strongly breathe four times into the mouth of the injured person as you pinch his or her nose. This helps air get past any water that is clogging the breathing passageways and the lungs.
- After four strong breaths, put your ear near the mouth and watch the chest for any breathing movement.
- Check the pulse for signs of life.
- Repeat the cycle.
You’re not out of the water once the drowning victim starts to breathe and choke. In fact, the first 48 hours after a drowning incident can be the most dangerous. Complications resulting from water exposure—pneumonia, infection, heart failure—can all occur during this time.
Therefore, you should always take a drowning victim to the hospital.
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