STAY WELL & SPARKLE – Drowning

drowning handBoth of you going down!

That’s what they say if a drowning person grabs hold of you – they never, ever let go. So how come…?

Well, consider this bulletin from St. Lucia. Grammar School 4B(Bully) went on an educational trip. It was led by our dashing, young form teacher, a recent university graduate, bristling with new ideas. In Vieux Fort, everybody was having a blast on a large raft anchored about 20 yards out at sea. Everybody except for this one lonely student on shore who could not swim. I felt so sorry for him.

Guess what? Unbeknownst to Mr. Bully, I organized a project. I persuaded Lonely we could do this and recruited 3 other guys to assist. Each of us would support a limb. The vision? Once we got Lonely to the raft, he could splash off and climb back on. Thereby, he would learn to swim the Dominican way: sink or float.

Genius idea! …except I had no contingency plan. Once we got to where our feet could no longer touch the ground, I could sense the uncertainty. About halfway, the bloke responsible for the right leg just gave up. He simply announced he was tired and off he went to check the action.

“Hey, you can’t do that! Come back!” I yelled to no avail. Regrouping, I sternly instructed the remainder. “Fellahs, just tell me if you want to rest. We can always slow down, but we cannot stop. We cannot. Okay?!”

Unconvinced, the one holding the other leg also bailed out on this exercise in futility.

“No, no! You can’t!!!” I begged.

“Allu not holding me up, man!”Lonely protested in sheer panic. Instantly, he clutched at the necks of the two off us supporting his arms. Frightened, my third colleague fled.

I suddenly felt choked in a deadly vice-like grip. Next thing we were engulfed in furious cloud of bubbles under a vast ceiling of water. I saw my mother in a…(childhood expression). Gasping, we thrashed to the surface, bawling for help. The guys on the raft just laughed at what they perceived as horsing around. Down we went a second time. And that was it…

To this day, how I did it, I do not know. I made one ‘daygargma!’ Somehow, somehow, Imanaged to extricate myself. I saw my classmate disappear, his outstretched hand desperately pierced the aquamarine layer, clawing at the precious air. I felt on the front row of a sickening, horror movie – except my eyes were burning as I sputtered swallowed salty water. Lonely came up come up again – and again, gurgling, weaker each time. I was petrified. I just paddled there, screaming at the top of my teenage lungs.

Out of nowhere, Bevin Zamore of Colihaut swam to the scene with swift and sure strokes. He grasped Lonely from behind the neck and towed him steadily back to the safety of shore. OMG!…Exhausted, I staggered onto terra firma and collapsed next to my classmate in utter relief.

Unnecessary

Drowning inflicts massive,unending guilt on everyone involved. It is so unnecessary. The tragic victims are often teenage boys, the world’s biggest risk-takers. In fact, it is the second most common cause unintentional deaths for those under 19. They are usually in perfect health, with a world of opportunity ahead of them. Substances can impair judgement as colleagues bait each other to try even more daring stunts.

The cardinal rule for the lifesaver is not to endanger self. Many have perished from impulsively trying to save others – even pets. To add insult to injury, a good many times the erstwhile victim survives! Here are some resuscitation tips which I will expand upon in a subsequent article:

  1. Turn the drowning victim face down
  2. Sweep the mouth with your finger to clear tongue
  3. Hoist the waist to drain out water blocking the airways, pounding the back as well
  4. Turn victim on back. Listen for breathing; look for chest movement
  5. Call for help
  6. Begin CPR by raising the chin and pinching the nose
  7. Blow 4 breaths into the mouth and perform chest compressions

Six black teenagers drowned at once in Louisiana. Why? Learning to swim requires no financial resources like buying bling, a bike or a tablet. In big countries, the under-privileged have less access to pools or safe bodies of water. By the same token, small islands excel with a much, much higher percentage of experienced swimmers. (Olympics anyone?) No offence, just geography: but how many Guyanese or Nigerians for example, you come across who can swim?

Swimming requires no special grace or athletic talent; just stepping out in faith. Others can do it and so can you. All it involves is overcoming a basic phobia of suffocating when one’s head goes under water. And for whatever reason, it seems everyone likes to breathe. Solution: just stand in safe, waist-deep water and practice bending down and place your face under water for a couple seconds. (Before you know it, you could even become an show-off ‘Lalin’ champion, able to hold your breath longer than anyone else around). Simply trust someone to stick their arms out under your belly while you practice paddling your feet and stroking your arms. Then learn to plunge forward in shallow water toward your instructor. Gradually grow in confidence, swimming a few more strokes each time.

They say most international travelis over huge expanses of water. How does a non-swimmer feel when the flight attendant recites all those life-jacket instructions? Apart from that, you don’t want to be like Lonely, not fully enjoying Nature’s best on an outing. From church, school or family picnics to riversDivefest and Titiwi Festival, Dominica boasts loads of fun and frolic around crystal, clear H2O. So like cat, you may choose to avoid water like the Ebola. Butyou never know when a flash flood or wandering toddler can call upon you to be a lifesaver.

With the Bully's
With Mr. Bully and his wife Anita

I doubt Mr. Bully even knows what happened in St. Lucia. Let’s keep it that way – I hear he still gives detentions. Nevertheless, I can declare from personal experience; don’t ever take chances with other people’s children. Exercise extreme caution when chaperoning trips anywhere near water. It’s one thing to regale each other with fortunate near-drowning stories. It’s quite another if you still cannot swim. Make that a top priority. The life you save could be your own.

Dr. Christian operates the Urgent Care on 137 Bath Road. He serves as Medical Adviser to the Dominica Cancer Society and Medical Officer for the Dominica Cadet Corps. Click here for more information http://urgentcareda.weebly.com/

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5 Comments

  1. August 11, 2014

    Doc, with the abundance of water we have in this country, every one should be able to swim, but with that said, CPR and other life-saving techniques should be introduced at school, or other social clubs. I am not a great swimmer, but can hold my own, so I don’t venture out where am not comfortable, but thanks for the valuable tips.

  2. Papa Cake
    August 11, 2014

    I remember that!

    Most of us didn’t know allu fellahs almost drown you know. I couldn’t swim too well, but I learn to swim after that.

    Nice to see your website Sampi http//:urgentcareda.weebly.com
    I didn’t know we could do all these things here in Dominica! I know a lot of people going overseas for things like that.

    Look at you with Mr. Bully. Doctor eh? You did good bro!

    Keep up the good work.

  3. CONSCIOUS
    August 10, 2014

    DR CHRISTIAN I THINK YOU SHOULD PUT YOU WRITINGS IN A BOOK SO THAT WHEN I BECOME ELDERLY I WILL HAVE SOMETHING TO READ, ENJOY AND HAVE A GOOD LAUGH.

  4. Faithful Dominican
    August 9, 2014

    Dr Sam what an inspiring story – profoundly serious, medically instructive, yet infused with your usual dash of humour rendered in the Dominican vernacular – all too true it would seem! Keep up the great medical education given to all who read DNO. And both Bully and Anita look well.

  5. louis
    August 9, 2014

    interestingly educative while keeping us informed on what to do at hard times when we may be called to help out, big thanks to you Dr. Christian for sharing your wisdom to all who read this wonderful piece

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