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Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

spotthedrowningchild.com

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Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#51

Post by chii »

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #22
Insanity wrote: post #14

I could spot a few - but was faster than the lifeguard only once. (Well, before they came into view, considering the time it took before they came into view I was probably slower). It'd be a lot harder in real life, when you don't know if there's going to be a drowning kid.. being prepared is half the game.

It's easier in real life because nobody just jumps in the deep end and starts drowning. When you're doing nothing but watching the pool you notice who is and isn't a strong swimmer and focus your attention on the kids who look like they're a higher risk. Also when you do it all day you get good. Most people who are struggling will know it and make it to the side of the pool with no issues so you get a lot of experien…

you can drown even if youre a strong swimmer. a cramp in your feet/abdomen can cause you to drown.

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#52

Post by smabie »

JshWright wrote: post #40
chrismeller wrote: post #5

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.

The guards actually have a lot more context. They have been watching the people in the pool and have mentally sorted them by how much attention they need. They have also been staring at the same pool for hours and their brain is ignoring all the visual noise that is distracting you. They also have the benefit of stereo vision and sound.

They’re also twirling their whistle which helps a lot, I’m sure.

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#53

Post by JdeBP »

minimonk wrote: post #36

One of the important lessons I learnt from a lifeguard is that movies depict a very inaccurate representation of drowning. The movies would have you believe that drowning is a violent and noisy event when in reality it is an inconspicuous and silent event. The victim cannot shout or call for help when they are struggling to keep their nose above the water level. Another important lesson I learnt that sometimes when s…

An important lesson to learn in general is that television and movies depict very inaccurate representations of everything.

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#54

Post by throwaway744678 »

HenryBemis wrote: post #11

To all parents out there, it takes 10 seconds for a toddler to drown. Once in the water, if they go under, they tend to get disoriented and don't know where is up or down. When you are with your kids near a swimming pool or the sea, keep your eyes glued on them. My rule is "never break line of sight" (I borrowed the term from Assassin's Creed where if you break line of sights from the guards chasing you for a few sec…

I can only strongly confirm this: last summer, my 2.5 years old boy fell in a (private) swimming pool while playing around it. Of the 4 adults that were around the pool (less than 3 meters away), only one saw him and could get him back safely. We could not hear a single noise, no cries, no water splashes...

Although he was wearing those kids armbands, they were useless as they were keeping his head underwater (he fell head first).

The whole thing took less than 5 seconds, but it was really frightening in retrospect.

Do not break line of sight.

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#55

Post by mikequinlan »

conistonwater wrote: post #43
minimonk wrote: post #36

One of the important lessons I learnt from a lifeguard is that movies depict a very inaccurate representation of drowning. The movies would have you believe that drowning is a violent and noisy event when in reality it is an inconspicuous and silent event. The victim cannot shout or call for help when they are struggling to keep their nose above the water level. Another important lesson I learnt that sometimes when s…

Is there still water in their lungs? Why doesn't it get coughed out once they are out of the water?

The water (and chemicals) in the lungs irritate and damage the lungs, which causes inflammation, which causes fluids to build up in the lungs, which eventually causes suffocation.

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#56

Post by laumars »

JshWright wrote: post #40
chrismeller wrote: post #5

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.

The guards actually have a lot more context. They have been watching the people in the pool and have mentally sorted them by how much attention they need. They have also been staring at the same pool for hours and their brain is ignoring all the visual noise that is distracting you. They also have the benefit of stereo vision and sound.

I agree with your general point but I think some of the assumptions you've made aren't quite accurate:

> They have also been staring at the same pool for hours and their brain is ignoring all the visual noise that is distracting you.

I'd suspect mental fatigue would counteract any benefits you'd get from increased filtering. Which, I assume, is why life guards are generally rotated regularly.

> They also have the benefit of stereo vision and sound.

Sound might not be of much help here because drowning is usually something that happens quietly (as the linked site also explains).

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#57

Post by b0rsuk »

chrismeller wrote: post #5

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.

In case of lifeguards it's probably best to react even if you have doubts. Human life is at stake, better safe than sorry.

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#58

Post by bluGill »

chrismeller wrote: post #7
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.

In every public pool I've been in the US they had a "shallow end" and "deep end". In the shallow water kids could easily touch the bottom and didn't need to know how to swim. The lifeguard between the shallow and deep end wouldn't let you in if you couldn't prove you could swim. It was always cross the line and the lifeguard would yell at your to swim across the pool (different pools had different tests), if you weren't strong enough you got sent back to the shallow end.

If there wasn't a lifeguard the above obviously didn't apply.

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#59

Post by kungtotte »

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #22
Insanity wrote: post #14

I could spot a few - but was faster than the lifeguard only once. (Well, before they came into view, considering the time it took before they came into view I was probably slower). It'd be a lot harder in real life, when you don't know if there's going to be a drowning kid.. being prepared is half the game.

It's easier in real life because nobody just jumps in the deep end and starts drowning. When you're doing nothing but watching the pool you notice who is and isn't a strong swimmer and focus your attention on the kids who look like they're a higher risk. Also when you do it all day you get good. Most people who are struggling will know it and make it to the side of the pool with no issues so you get a lot of experien…

Eh, anecdotally, I almost drowned when I was a kid before I learned to swim by literally jumping in too deep water. This was in the ocean and not a pool, but I walked out on the bridge to the first division and jumped in because I knew that it was shallow enough there for me to stand on the bottom with my head over the water.

Except it was at highwater now, so my head ended up I'd say almost a foot under water. I landed on the bottom and managed to contain my panic enough to kick off and angle myself so I'd go towards shore and not away from it. In the end I was fine, but a lifeguard watching me would've been caught totally unawares.

Re: Spot the Drowning Child (2015)

#60

Post by cVwEq »

conistonwater wrote: post #43
minimonk wrote: post #36

One of the important lessons I learnt from a lifeguard is that movies depict a very inaccurate representation of drowning. The movies would have you believe that drowning is a violent and noisy event when in reality it is an inconspicuous and silent event. The victim cannot shout or call for help when they are struggling to keep their nose above the water level. Another important lesson I learnt that sometimes when s…

Is there still water in their lungs? Why doesn't it get coughed out once they are out of the water?

"Secondary drowning" is another term people use to describe another drowning complication. It happens if water gets into the lungs. There, it can irritate the lungs’ lining and fluid can build up, causing a condition called pulmonary edema. You’d likely notice your child having trouble breathing right away, and it might get worse over the next 24 hours.

Both events are very rare. They make up only 1%-2% of all drownings, says pediatrician James Orlowski, MD, of Florida Hospital Tampa. [1]

[1] https://www.webmd.com/children/features/secondary-drowning-d...

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