This program aims to make non-certified spectators helpful in a drowning event.
Summer and swimming are synonymous, and we don’t get through most summers without a drowning—north central West Virginia has seen at least two already this season. By becoming a Water Watcher, you can make a big impact if you see someone struggling in the water—and you won’t even need to jump in to save them.
Water Watchers commit to watching swimmers closely, says Jennifer Lainhart, director of Aquatics and Track at the Mylan Park Aquatic Center. They also commit to check the bottom of the pool regularly, to refrain from waterside chats when people are swimming nearby, to keep a phone nearby to call for help, and to have equipment at the ready to help, even if it’s just a life jacket or pool noodle.
“It’s never safe to go into a deep place to get them,” Lainhart says. “That’s why lifeguards use a rescue tube to support themselves while they swim out to rescue someone. You can still help. We tell people to ‘Reach or throw. Don’t go.’ You don’t want to end up with a two-person drowning situation.”
So while you’re watching the water, what should you be watching for? Lainhart says, simply, watch for panic. Swimmers who aren’t struggling are usually smiling, laughing, or talking. When you see panic is when things are headed downhill for a swimmer.
“It’s important to look for struggling swimmers. They’ll probably have little to no forward movement in the water. They usually end up in a vertical position and their chin will be just above water as they gasp for air. You can see the panic all over their faces,” she says.
The Red Cross has resources, Lainhart says, for anyone interested in learning to prevent unintentional deaths by drowning—one of the top five causes of unintentional deaths in adults and one of the top three in children.
It’s critical to get kids in swimming lessons before the age of nine, she adds. Studies show that, if kids wait until after that, they’re more likely never to learn. Good news, though—new swimming lessons just opened up for July and August at the Center.
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