In winter, many people sink under ice, which is rarely thick enough to support a human weight. If we witness someone fall under the ice, first of all, let's not rush to save him mindlessly. The ice can also break down beneath us, or a drowning person can drag us under the water in a panic attack. What to do to save a person drowning in cold water?
If you witness a situation in whichice collapses underneath you , first call for help immediately (preferably the fire brigade, which has professional equipment to rescue drowning people). If there are other people around you, you can involve them in the rescue operation. Remember, however, that your safety comes first. If you have any doubts as to whether you can make it, if there is no one around to help you if the ice breaks below you, do not try to rush to the rescue.
How to independently save a person drowning in cold water?
If you have already called for help, but want to start a rescue action yourself, here's what you should do:
- Look around for a stick, board, sledge, rope, lifebuoy, or other item that you can use to hand it over to a drowning person. You can also use a ladder, your own jacket or scarf;
- when getting on the ice, lie down and move around crawling to distribute your weight over as much surface as possible and minimize the risk of ice collapsing;
- if you are accompanied by other people, you can lie down on the ice together, grab the legs by forming a chain and crawl closer to the drowning person, after pulling them out, still crawl and do not make any sudden movements;
- if possible, secure yourself with a rope before boarding the ice;
- do not shake hands directly to the injured person - a drowning person may pull you under the ice.
Remember! If you don't feel able to help, don't take chances and don't step on the ice. Get professional help.
How to help yourself if you fell into cold water?
Everyone should know what to do when you fall into the water, especially those who like ice fishing or skating on natural, frozen water bodies. Self-rescueit is very difficult and requires a lot of strength, but it is not impossible.
What to do if the ice below us collapses?
- it will be difficult, but calm down and try to realistically assess the situation, do not waste valuable energy that you will need to save yourself;
- if you see people nearby who can help you - shout. If you are alone, do not waste your strength on calling for help, you only have a few minutes to save yourself, because the body cools down in the water many times faster than in the air, and clothing, especially winter clothes, gets wet quickly and increases its weight by dragging it under the water;
- if your shoes or jacket are embarrassing, soaking up with water and becoming very heavy, try to take them off;
- choose the place where the ice in the ice hole seems the thickest and try to get out by stretching on your back, not on your stomach, try to lie on the ice and pull up on your elbows;
- once you get out of the water crawl to the shore on your stomach, don't stand on your feet, don't try to run, keep calm;
- call for help immediately, the cooling down of the body progresses very quickly and you need professional medical help. Until she arrives, do not make any sudden or unnecessary movements, lie down. If you have the option of covering yourself with e.g. a blanket or dry clothes - calmly take off your wet, cold clothes and try to cover yourself with whatever you have at hand. Don't rub your skin, don't try to pour hot water over it.
How to help a person who is very cold after falling into cold water?
First of all, you need to warm it up, but calmly, slowly and gradually. Let's stop the injured from making unnecessary movements. Let's put him on the ground. Movement in such a state may paradoxically lead to cardiac arrest. For the same reason, you must not rub or rub the body. If possible, undress a chilled person from cold, wet clothes, cover them with a sleeping bag, blanket, own jacket, foil, whatever you have at hand. If the victim is very cold, has stiff muscles and it is difficult to communicate with him - the victim must be placed on his side with his legs tucked in the so-called recovery position. If the victim is conscious, first call for help as soon as possible or take him to a doctor. If a cold person does not breathe and his pulse is imperceptible, resuscitation action should be taken immediately and continued until medical help arrives (even a 30-40 minute resuscitation makes sense!).