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Woooosh
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How long before we see EMILY in action locally? umm... probably never.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20009180-1.html
[Edited on 7-1-2010 by Woooosh]
\"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing\"
1961- JFK to Canadian parliament (Edmund Burke)
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windgrrl
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Thanks, BMG. This is excellent information.
When the way comes to an end, then change. Having changed, you pass through.
~ I-Ching
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BajaBlanca
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so true ... have seen it happen to kids as described a couple times. And I was once rescued as a kid when I tried to help a friend who couldn't swim
and fell into a "hole" in Miami. She never made a sound but was definitely going under. When I got to her, she climbed on top of me (instinct). Lucky
for me, a woman saw me go under and saved us.
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MrBillM
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Looking Back
People looking back at the beach in Trouble ?
Based on that, there should be a few million rescues each year.
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desertcpl
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great article,, I am passing this on to my kids
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Maderita
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Thanks BMG, for posting the link. Your timing was fortunate for one lucky soul. You have already saved one life by taking a few minutes of your day to
post!
Here's my account of the incident:
Read your post and the article while at home in San Diego on July 1st.
Two days later, with the forecast for huge waves and ripe mangos, I was on a plane bound for Los Cabos.
Arrived at the beach in San Jose del Cabo soon after sunrise on the 4th of July. "Old Man's" for those who know the break. A big swell was generating
near "double overhead" faces, 10' + in height.
I'm not particularly skilled, had an unfamiliar rental board, and hadn't been surfing since last October. It was intimidating, so I sat and observed
the break for several minutes, memorizing the location of the visible and submerged rocks, while noting the condition of waves breaking at the outer,
3rd reef. Particularly troubling was the alarmingly short interval between waves. I'm used to waiting several minutes for a big set to roll in. That
allows time to rest, catch a breath of air, and plan for a takeoff. More importantly, a longer interval and big sets, separated by some minutes, gives
a chance to paddle back out without getting "Maytagged" (a reference to a washing machine). Then there was the powerful flow of a rip current to
contend with. All of that water coming in must go back out! I knew that paddling out would be difficult and unpleasant, but with the rip pulling at a
45 degree angle toward the rocks, it would be dangerous too.
A "soft top" board, sans leash or rider, was washing toward the shore. At the time, it seemed odd that someone would be out in those conditions on
what is usually considered a beginner's board. I looked around for the owner. That proved to be futile as I couldn't see over the inner waves, and the
outer waves were far in the distance.
Starting from the far right side of the beach, my paddle out was laborious. Within a couple minutes, the rocks on the left side of the beach were
uncomfortably close as the rip was an unforgiving river. Arms felt like lead weights as I had to pull even harder and faster. The conditions were
humbling and forward progress was mostly nullified by each successive, already broken, wave. What felt like 10 minutes was probably only 3 minutes.
So focused had I been on getting out, with the onslaught of monster whitewater ahead of me, that I didn't notice a guy in the water until I was almost
upon him. He was vertical in the water, not swimming nor flailing. His arms and hands never broke the surface.
His eyes were open, but with a vacant appearance. He looked absolutely calm, as if he might be out for a relaxing swim. I thought, "Oh, there's the
guy who lost the soft board. He will catch (bodysurf) a wave in soon enough" as I continued to paddle. There was something incongruent that caught my
attention. It wasn't until some hours later that I realized that while my eyes saw a benign situation, it didn't match my conscious thoughts and
newfound awareness, after having read the article on drowning victims.
I stopped paddling and asked him if he was okay. No answer, though he was looking my direction. He went under, between waves, and came back up spewing
saltwater out of his mouth. He was in aquatic distress. I rapidly covered the remaining 30' to him as he barely managed to vocalize pieces of the
words, "Help, I'm drowning." Flipping my board around, I shoved it toward him, tail- first, and pulled him aboard. He had the ability to cling to the
board as I hung on to the side and steered for the beach, navigating between the jagged rocks.
The unbelievable timing of this article probably saved his life. He was likely only a minute or two, perhaps merely seconds, from going under and
being bashed upon the rocks.
That was one relieved dude as we walked down the sandy beach. I sat on the beach and watched for the remainder of that morning. But karma was good;
the next 5 days were filled with fantastic surfing and the mangos were perfectly tree-ripened.
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Barry A.
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All great stuff!!!! Thanks, BMG for starting this awareness, and getting all out attention. Sobering stories, for sure!!!
We should keep 'bumping' this story to the top of the list, at least for a few weeks.
Barry
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vgabndo
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Instinctive drowning response...I'd never heard that. I remember a time when a drunken hippie fell out of a little rubber boat into the Trinity River
without a life jacket. He survived a quick thrashing in a shallow rapid then was immediately dropped into a little keeper hole. The fight was four
breaths long, viscious, to the death, speechless.
There was this conscious thought that came with the cessation of panic and pain: I'll be damned, I never thought I was going to drown!
I bit later as the lifeless body drifted out of the bottom of the reversal there was an image of sand ripples on the bottom, and a consciousness to
push off. From deep slow moving water, the dumb hippie who was obviously me, rose to the surface and rescue.
I've always felt that there was a protective mechanism in our brains which "turned off the horror". It certainly did for me.
Interesting stuff...
Undoubtedly, there are people who cannot afford to give the anchor of sanity even the slightest tug. Sam Harris
"The situation is far too dire for pessimism."
Bill Kauth
Carl Sagan said, "We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
PEACE, LOVE AND FISH TACOS
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BajaBlanca
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Maderita, what a story.
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Barry A.
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Bump---------this is important stuff, I think.
Barry
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Maderita
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Bump for a link to the Spanish translation of the article:
http://mariovittone.com/2010/08/el-que-se-ahoga-no-parece-ah...
(Notes: Spanish translation revised by Luis Miguel Pascual, Escuela Segoviana de Socorrismo ESS Technical Manager
Traducción al español revisada por Luis Miguel Pascual, Director Técnico de la Escuela Segoviana de Socorrismo.)
El nuevo capitán saltó desde la cubierta, completamente vestido y esprintó en el agua. Como antiguo Socorrista, mantuvo los ojos en la víctima
mientras se dirigía directamente hacia una pareja que nadaba entre su lancha fondeada y la playa. “Me parece que piensa que te estás ahogando”, dijo
el marido a su esposa. Habían estado jugando a mojarse entre sí, y habían gritado, pero ahora estaban de pie, parados en el fondo de arena con el agua
hasta el cuello. “Estamos bien, ¿qué está haciendo?” Le preguntó, un poco molesta la mujer a su marido. “¡Estamos bien!” gritó el marido agitando los
brazos, pero el capitán continuó nadando con fuerza. “¡Muévete!” ladró mientras pasaba entre la aturdida pareja. Justo detrás de ellos, apenas a tres
metros, su hija de nueve años se estaba ahogando. A salvo, en los brazos del capitán, ya con la cabeza fuera del agua, la niña estalló en llanto y
grito “¡Papá!”.
¿Cómo supo este capitán, desde una distancia de quince metros, lo que el padre no pudo reconocer a tan sólo tres? El ahogamiento no es como la gente
piensa. No involucra violencia ni drama, ni salpicaduras frenéticas, ni los gritos de ayuda que la mayoría de la gente espera. El capitán había
recibido entrenamiento y tenía años de experiencia para reconocer a una persona en proceso de ahogarse. El padre, por el contrario, había aprendido
como las personas aparentan ahogarse mirando la televisión. Si usted pasa algún tiempo en o cerca del agua (y eso se aplica a todos nosotros) entonces
debe asegurarse de que tanto usted como sus acompañantes saben como reconocer las señales de alarma siempre que alguien esta en el agua. Hasta que la
niña gritó entre lágrimas: “Papá”, no había hecho el menor ruido. Como ex-nadador de rescate de la Guardia Costera de los Estados Unidos, no me
sorprendió en absoluto esta historia. El ahogamiento es casi siempre un acontecimiento “decepcionantemente” silencioso. Los gestos, salpicaduras y
gritos asociados al condicionamiento que las largas horas de televisión y cine nos han inculcado que debemos buscar, raramente suceden en la vida
real.
La Respuesta Instintiva de Ahogamiento (RIDA) llamada así por el doctor Francesco A. Pia, es lo que hacen las personas para evitar la asfixia real o
percibida en el agua. Y no es como la mayoría de la gente espera. Hay muy pocas salpicaduras, no hay brazos agitándose, ni gritos o llamadas de
auxilio de ningún tipo. Para tener una idea de lo silencioso y poco dramático que puede ser el proceso de ahogamiento visto desde la superficie,
considere esto: es la segunda causa de muerte accidental en niños de 15 años o menos (sólo después de los accidentes de coches) y de los
aproximadamente 750 niños que se ahogarán el próximo año en los Estados Unidos, unos 375 de ellos lo harán a menos de 25 metros de un familiar u otro
adulto. En el diez por ciento de los ahogamientos, el adulto presenciará la escena, sin percatarse de lo que está pasando (fuente: CDC) porque el
proceso de ahogamiento no se ve como tal. El Dr. Pia, en un artículo publicado en la revista de la Guardia Costera estadounidense “On Scene”,
describió así la Respuesta Instintiva de Ahogamiento:
1 – Excepto en raras circunstancias, las personas que se ahogan son fisiológicamente incapaces de pedir ayuda. El sistema respiratorio fue diseñado
para respirar y el habla es una función secundaria. Se debe respirar antes de poder hablar.
2 – La boca de las personas en riesgo de ahogarse se hunde y reaparece alternativamente sobre la superficie del agua y no permanece por encima de la
superficie el tiempo suficiente para exhalar, inhalar, y pedir ayuda. Cuando las vías aéreas de los personas que se ahogan está por encima de la
superficie, exhalan e inhalan rápidamente, mientras vuelven a descender por debajo de la superficie del agua.
3 – Las personas en vías de ahogarse no pueden pedir ayuda con movimientos de los brazos. La naturaleza instintiva de la respuesta hace que extiendan
los brazos lateralmente y los muevan ejerciendo presión en la superficie del agua para sustentarse. Este empuje permitiría a las víctimas elevar su
cuerpo para sacar la boca fuera del agua y poder respirar.
4 – Durante la RIDA, la víctima no puede controlar voluntariamente los movimientos de sus brazos. Debido a esta respuesta fisiológica, las personas
que están luchando en la superficie del agua no pueden realizar movimientos voluntarios tales como agitar las manos para pedir ayuda, moverse hacia un
rescatador o alcanzar un flotador u otro dispositivo de rescate.
5 – Del principio al fin de la RIDA las víctimas mantienen una posición corporal vertical en el agua sin que haya evidencias de que utilicen las
piernas para sustentarse. A menos que sean rescatados por un Socorrista debidamente entrenado, las víctimas sólo puede luchar en la superficie del
agua durante 20 a 60 segundos antes de que se sumerjan.
(Fuente: On Scene Magazine, Otoño 2006, pag 14)
Esto no quiere decir que una persona que está gritando por ayuda y agitando los brazos no tenga un problema real, probablemente están experimentando
lo que se conoce como Estrés Acuático. No siempre presente antes de la RIDA, el estrés acuático no dura mucho tiempo, pero a diferencia de un
ahogamiento real, estas personas pueden ayudar en su propio rescate y son capaces de agarrar cuerdas o un salvavidas.
Preste atención a estos otros signos de ahogamiento cuando las personas están en el agua:
■Cabeza metida en el agua, boca al nivel de la superficie.
■Cabeza inclinada hacia atrás con la boca abierta
■Ojos vidriosos y vacíos, incapaces de enfocar
■Ojos cerrados
■Pelo sobre la frente o los ojos
■No usan las piernas – Vertical
■Hiperventilación o jadeo
■Tratar de nadar en una dirección determinada, pero sin lograr avanzar.
■Tratar de flotar sobre la espalda.
■Movimientos alternativos de brazos y piernas, como si estuviesen subiendo una escalera vertical.
Así que si un miembro de la tripulación cae al agua y todo parece estar bien, no este demasiado seguro. A veces, la indicación más común de que
alguien se está ahogando es que no parece que se esté ahogando. Puede parecer como si estuviera andando en el agua y mirando hacia arriba, a la
cubierta o la orilla.
¿Cómo estar seguros?. Pregúntele: “¿Estás bien?” Si no es capaz de responder probablemente está en problemas. Si se recibe una mirada inexpresiva,
entonces tiene menos de 30 segundos para rescatarlos.
Y para los padres: los niños que juegan en el agua hacen ruido. Cuando estén en silencio, hay que acercarse y averiguar por qué.
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sd
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Great information! I spent the labor day weekend in Newport Beach and visited the "Wedge", a well known big wave break used mostly by skilled body
boarders.
It was a big wave day, and the lifeguard spent most of his time getting small kids away from the water, as their parents watched the kids from a large
berm. About every 45 minutes the waves would come all the way up to where the non swimmers would have been playing had it not been for the lifeguard
on duty.
Amazing, the parents often did not respect these warnings, and the kids would return and the parents would then be educated by the lifeguard who asked
the parents to keep their kids up high on the berm for their own safety.
Lack of understanding the power of the waves, and lack of respecting those who are trying to protect.
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Baja Bernie
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BMG
Most confused...is this Anna or Steve.
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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Gypsy Jan
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BMG Passed Away
And, if I remember correctly, his wife requested that his icon should be retired.
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
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bacquito
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Good information!
bacquito
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Barry A.
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Excellent, BMG thank you, and "bump"
Barry
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TMW
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I sent the article to my brother and he sent this back.
"Mother said she was on A sled that broke through the ice ,she said she felt very cold and she held her breath as long as she could and then she got
warm and went to sleep when she woke some one had rescued her and she was very cold and wet . probably A near death experience"
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