Subject: RE: OWS practice. Somebody yelling for help GREAT question.
Welcome to the rock and hardplace situation.
After reading in detail it seems the person was coherent and it was a leg cramp, not a drowning situation. If you feel and cannot NOT help then proceed VERY CAREFULLY. If you can have a conversation with the person you should be ok-but be prepared to take a breath and swim to the bottom. PS if they can call for help they can breathe. A conversation will do wonders, triathletes swim all the time without their legs (assuming this is where the cramp was ).
Otherwise:
1. DONT "help", you will become a ladder and there is no up there is only down for you.
2. If your grabbed suck in as much air as possible quickly and try and swim to the bottom, instinct in a drowning victim is up not down they WILL let go.
3. Offer something that floats-that isnt attached to you either, they'llclimb that too and "ride" you.
4. If you can swim BEHIND them go for the full nelson and breaststroke kick to safety.
5. Wait for them to pass out then flip them face up and swim them to safety.
6. Lastly DONT BE AFRAID to become violent. 2 victims cant help anyone. |