How to avoid drowning in a river or lake

What bodies of water can you swim in?

The simplest and most effective safety rule is to relax on specially equipped beaches. And it’s better where there is a constantly working rescue service. But in the summer, many often go outside the city, into nature, to plunge into a forest lake or the clear waters of a river. As a rule, there are no equipped places for swimming.

A body of water that you see for the first time should be studied with special attention. To make your vacation enjoyable, you should remember a few rules.

1. Sit on the shore with a gentle slope to the water. Better don’t swim in a lake or river with steep banks. In a safe body of water, the water should be clear and the bottom should be clearly visible.
2. Choose a pond with a flat bottom made of sand, soil or pebbles. It is better not to stop near a lake where there is a thick layer of silt under the water. It will be difficult for you to estimate the depth, and you can get stuck in the mud. You should not swim in reservoirs with a lot of algae: it is easy to get entangled in these plants.
3. Stay away from polluted rivers or lakes. Please ensure that the bottom is free of sharp-edged stones, concrete beams with protruding reinforcement, snags, scrap metal and other debris that may pose a danger. Even if you know the reservoir well and have never seen anything dangerous at the bottom, the situation may change. For example, the day before someone might leave a broken bottle near the shore. Or throw unnecessary reinforcement or a ball of barbed wire into the water. Unfortunately, this happens. That’s why check before swimming, even a familiar place.
4. Swim in bodies of water where there are no strong currents or whirlpools. Athletes can specifically choose fast-flowing rivers for organized training. But for ordinary vacationers it is better to go to a lake or a calm river. Avoid swimming near bridge supports or other man-made structures. Perhaps the current there will be more active, and this will be an unpleasant surprise for you.
5. Choose a lake or river with warm water. For adults there will be swimming safe, if the water is heated to 18 °C, for children – to 19–20 °C. If you don’t have a thermometer and the water seems too cold, don’t go for long swims. Otherwise they might to appear convulsions. At the same time, a person often panics, and this is the most dangerous thing that can happen.

In what cases is it better to stay on shore?

Almost everyone can relax by the water. But not everyone should swim. Here are the conditions in which it is better not to try to swim.

1. Chronic or acute diseases. Doctors often prohibit swim in case of rheumatism, epilepsy, some heart diseases and other serious disorders. Therefore, if you have any disease, you should go to the doctor before the start of the beach season. It is better to make sure that everything is fine in advance than to have a sudden exacerbation while on vacation. You should not swim in acute conditions – for example, with elevated temperature or symptoms of poisoning.
2. Alcohol intoxication. This is the state dangerous, because even after two or three glasses of wine, people may not adequately assess the situation. They tend to exaggerate their capabilities. For example, a drunk person may decide that he can easily swim to the opposite shore of the lake, although in a sober state he would never dare to undertake such an adventure. And in the middle of the lake he may run out of strength. Therefore, you should choose in advance: either alcohol or swimming.
3. Severe fatigue. It seems that water will help refresh you and wash away fatigue. This is true, but when you are overtired, you can also overestimate your strength. The decision to take a dip near the shore may be the right one. But trying to make a long swim can take away your strength and lead to trouble.

The main rule is to act according to how you feel and swim when this process is enjoyable.

What not to do while swimming

After a long rest in the sun, you should first dry yourself with water or at least splash and splash in the shallow water. You should not immediately rush into a lake or river, much less dive – this can lead to shock. For the same reason it is impossible unexpectedly push person into the water.

Well, now about what not to do in a river or lake. Here are the rules worth remembering.

1. Do not swim close to boats, ships or other watercraft. Some try to get closer to the river boat to swing on the waves. This is dangerous because currents and whirlpools arise near the side, which can pull the swimmer under the propeller. Besides, you don’t know how the person driving the boat will behave. Having noticed a person dangerously close to his vessel, he may become confused, nervous and perform a dangerous maneuver.
2. Stay away from whirlpools. Some swimmers try to organize competitions and see who can swim closest to the funnel, and then turn around and move away from the current. This is dangerous because you don’t know at what distance from it you will no longer be able to withstand the force of the water movement. It’s better to stay away from such places.
3. Don’t dive if you don’t know anything about the conditions of the bottom. It seems that even schoolchildren know about this rule. And adults, especially, will not jump into the water from an unfamiliar shore. But many people forget that you shouldn’t dive from a boat or raft, even in the middle of the lake. Maybe it’s under your boat that you’ll find a dangerous object or a sandbank that you didn’t suspect was there.
4. Before you jump into the water, make sure you won’t collide with anyone. If there is a beach on a river or lake and you are jumping from a tower, you will not be exposed to dangerous objects. But you can get injured when colliding with other people. So don’t jump if there are swimmers below.
5. Don’t stay in the water if you feel cold. In the first half a minute the water always seems cold, but then it becomes quite comfortable. If you continue to feel cold or feel chills again, go ashore.
6. Don’t swim far from shore if you don’t feel well. Perhaps you are healthy, and doctors do not limit you in anything. But you could be overheated in direct sunlight or simply tired. In this case, you should swim close to the shore so that you can return if you feel unwell.
7. Do not move away from the shore on mattresses or circles if you do not know how to swim. You may be caught in the current and find it difficult to return to shore. And if the mattress suddenly begins to deflate or burst, you will be in danger. You can only go as far as you can on a boat that you can easily cover on your own, without anyone’s help.

And one more thing: it is better not to swim in unfamiliar bodies of water and not to organize extreme swims, even in a studied place, alone. It is better to have people nearby who can help if necessary.

What to do if something goes wrong in the water

The main danger is to panic, swallow water and inhale it. Therefore, the most important thing is to remain calm. Remember that a person can always stay on the surface of a lake or calm river. If he doesn’t panicthen it won’t drown.

In dangerous situations, act like this.

1. If you find yourself in a strong current, try to move to the side. You should not fight the flow and swim against it – this will only cause you to lose strength. It is better to move with the flow, trying to gradually move diagonally away from the flow. Choose a direction so that you gradually swim to the nearest or most convenient shore, and save your energy.

2. In a whirlpool, first let the current pull you into the funnel, and then just go to the side. In the first seconds, while you are still on the surface, you need to take in more air into your lungs. Then, once in the funnel, you need to plunge into the water and make a sharp jerk to the side. Try to actively work with your arms and legs to move away from the dangerous place. And then swim to the surface.

3. If you get caught in algae, do not make sudden movements. This can make you even more confused and lose your strength. You should try to lie on your back and carefully brush the seaweed off your arms or legs. If that doesn’t work, calmly remove them with your hands. Keep your head above the water at all times and try to breathe evenly.

4. If you lose direction and don’t understand where the surface is, let some air out of your mouth. This happens if a person falls into the water or dives unsuccessfully and loses consciousness for a moment. In such a situation, you need to freeze for a short time and exhale. Air bubbles always rush upward – that’s where you need to swim.

5. For cramps, use a pin. This is the easiest and fastest way to help yourself. It is suitable for both experienced swimmers and those who are not very confident in the water. Therefore, it is worth attaching a pin to your swimsuit or swimming trunks in advance. If it’s not there, you can try to pinch yourself hard or bite yourself if your hand is cramped. Try not to strain other muscles more than necessary, so as not to cause new cramps.

6. If something goes wrong, take a float pose. To do this, you need to take a deep breath, then pull your knees to your chest and wrap your arms around them. You you will emerge your back up and you will sway on the water like a float. In this position, a person will always stay on the surface and will not go to the bottom – the laws of physics will not allow it. You can hold your breath, and then raise your head and take a deep breath again.

A “float” can help when you are tired and far from the shore, and when you suddenly have cramps. The main rule is to try to relax as much as possible and breathe evenly.

Remember: in this position you have enough time to rest or help yourself with cramps. You can slowly move towards the shore, taking a float position each time you need to regain strength.