Drowning

What should be done when seeing a drowned person?
• Asking for help from those present in the place.
• Ensure that the environment is safe for the rescuer.
• The drowning person should be pulled out of the water immediately if he is near, and if he is far away, he should not swim to him unless
The lifesaver was a good swimmer.

First aid procedures:
• Placing the drowning person on flat ground, lying on his back, and care must be taken when dealing with him
He may be unconscious because his head hit something.
• Calling the drowning person and shrugging his shoulders to make sure of his response.
• If the drowning person does not respond to the call, his breathing must be checked.
• Send someone to call the Red Crescent (997).
• If the drowned person is breathing: put him in the recovery position and warm him with clothes or a blanket and a change of clothes
His wet clothes and waiting for the ambulance.

If he is not breathing:
1- Raising the head of the drowning person by placing a hand on his forehead and a hand under his chin and raising it with caution, in order to open the
airway

2- Feeling the place of the larynx (Adam’s apple) in the neck using two fingers, in order to verify the presence of
pulse.
3- Start performing artificial respiration by slowly blowing into the victim’s mouth 5 times (for a second and a half to
two seconds) while observing the rise of his chest after blowing and waiting for his chest to drop between puffs.
4- Carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation (30 compressions).
5- Repeat artificial respiration by blowing only twice, then perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation again
And so on until the drowning person wakes up or the ambulance arrives.
6- If the drowned person regains his breathing before the ambulance arrives, he must be warmed with clothes or a blanket
And change his wet clothes.
7- Observe the drowning person and check his pulse and breathing until the ambulance arrives.

Source: Saudi Ministry of Health