Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

All in all after watching several of their videos I feel like I do a good job of recognizing the drowning person, but I’m amazed at how quickly the lifeguards spot it and dive into action.

Even knowing that in this short clip there is absolutely someone drowning I still have doubt, but the lifeguard who doesn’t have that context is already half way to the person by the time I’m sure.

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#6

Post by rendall » Wed, Mar 04, 2020, 12:31 PM UTC

Something in the embed code prevents the "allow full screen" from working properly, so the video is tiny and scrunched up into the upper left hand corner. When I watched this on YouTube, with full screen enabled, I spotted the poor little fellow within about 5 seconds. This is using the latest chrome (v80.0.3987.132)

This worked, though:

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#7

Post by chrismeller » Wed, Mar 04, 2020, 12:32 PM UTC

cafebabbe wrote: post #4

So many of them don't have arm bands? It's borderline criminal to allow untrained kids in a pool without wearing those.

Admittedly it’s been a while since I’ve been to a public pool, and only ever in the US, but there was never any such requirement. I mean even if they did ask “can you swim?” that doesn’t really mean much, it’s not like there’s an official certification process... and either way, doesn’t mean they can’t still drown, so the lesson is relevant anyway.

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#8

Post by panadan » Wed, Mar 04, 2020, 12:34 PM UTC

cafebabbe wrote: post #4

So many of them don't have arm bands? It's borderline criminal to allow untrained kids in a pool without wearing those.

Despite their popularity, swimming experts advise against using inflatable armbands. Although they can help a child to float, they can slip off and lead to drowning. Inflatable armbands do not prevent drowning, nor are they a life-saving device. Mistaking them for one can create a dangerous false sense of security. Additionally, inflatable armbands teach children to float in a vertical position, which is incorrect because swimming is usually done in a prone position. Children who wear armbands can become dependent on them, as well.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inflatable_armbands

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#9

Post by jasode » Wed, Mar 04, 2020, 12:34 PM UTC

cafebabbe wrote: post #4

So many of them don't have arm bands? It's borderline criminal to allow untrained kids in a pool without wearing those.

A lot of people don't recommend children wear any armbands/floaties/waterwings: https://www.google.com/search?q=children+armbands+pool+dange...

In other words, if the small child supposedly needs armbands, they shouldn't be in the pool at all because the inflatables can easily slip off the arms.

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#10

Post by saagarjha » Wed, Mar 04, 2020, 12:34 PM UTC

I was able to consistently identify the drowning child faster than the lifeguard fairly easily, but it did require a significant amount of concentration (I'm sure it helped that I knew that I was supposed to look for someone in trouble). I'm not sure if I could pay that much attention for a long period of time…