The Wasserwacht ( German pronunciation: [ˈvasɐvaxt] ; water watch or water guard ) is a German lifeguard service . It is one of the five voluntary societies of the German Red Cross . The Wasserwacht is a non-profit organization made up of on volunteers.
93-576: The main task of the Wasserwacht is the prevention of drowning . The Wasserwacht's activities encompass many areas, including: A task of the Wasserwacht is the training of nonswimmers and the continuation of swimming education among the population. Badges are awarded based on the level of education, and begin with the "Seepferdchen" (literally seahorse ; the early certificate) up to the Gold German Swimming Badge. This group
186-609: A life jacket , life preserver , life belt , Mae West , life vest , life saver , cork jacket , buoyancy aid or flotation suit ) is a flotation device in the form of a vest or suit that is worn by a user to prevent the wearer from drowning in a body of water . The device will keep the wearer afloat with their head and mouth above the surface – they do not have to swim or tread water in order to stay afloat and can even be unconscious. PFDs are commonly worn on small watercraft or other locations where accidental entry into deep water may occur in order to provide immediate support for
279-462: A 'hydrostatic release'. All automatic life-jackets can be fired manually if required. Regardless of whether manually or automatically triggered, a pin punctures the cartridge/canister and the CO 2 gas escapes into the sealed air chamber. However, there is a chance that these water pressure activated inflation devices do not inflate the life jacket if a person is wearing waterproof clothing and falls into
372-696: A buoyancy compensator, which has an inflatable gas chamber. The amount of gas can be increased or decreased to enable the diver to ascend, descend or maintain neutral buoyancy at a given water depth and to provide positive buoyancy in an emergency to bring the diver to the surface or keep the diver at the surface. Specialized life jackets include shorter-profile vests commonly used for kayaking (especially playboating ), and high-buoyant types for river outfitters and other whitewater professionals. PFDs which include harnesses for tethered rescue work ('live-bait rescue') and pockets or daisy-chains (a series of loops created by sewing flat nylon webbing at regular intervals for
465-412: A death before submersion. Aspirated water that reaches the alveoli destroys the pulmonary surfactant , which causes pulmonary edema and decreased lung compliance, compromising oxygenation in affected parts of the lungs. This is associated with metabolic acidosis, secondary fluid, and electrolyte shifts. During alveolar fluid exchange, diatoms present in the water may pass through the alveolar wall into
558-464: A diver's drysuit provides a degree of flotation, in most maritime countries they are not formally considered by regulatory agencies as approved lifesaving devices or as PFDs. It is possible for an incapacitated person in the water to float face-down while wearing only a wet suit or a dry suit since they are not designed to serve as lifesaving devices in the normal understanding of that term. The Mark 10 Submarine Escape Immersion Equipment (SEIE) suit
651-491: A helicopter. Less than 6% of people rescued by lifeguards need medical attention, and only 0.5% need CPR. The statistics worsen when rescues are made by bystanders . If lifeguards or paramedics are unable to be called, bystanders must rescue the drowning person. It can be done using vehicles that the victim can reach, as row-boats or even modern robots, when they navigate across the water. Personal flotation device A personal flotation device ( PFD ; also referred to as
744-485: A large extent determines the survival and long term consequences of drowning, In the case of children, most survivors are found within 2 minutes of immersion, and most fatalities are found after 10 minutes or more. If water enters the airways of a conscious person, the person will try to cough up the water or swallow it, often inhaling more water involuntarily. When water enters the larynx or trachea, both conscious and unconscious people experience laryngospasm , in which
837-559: A letter to the Naval Chronicle, dated February 1802, Abraham Bosquet proposed issuing Royal Navy Ships with "strong canvas bags of dimensions, when filled with cork shavings, equal to about that of a bed bolster, coiled in manner like a collar, and sufficiently wide for the head and shoulders to pass through." In 1804, a cork life jacket was available for sale in The Sporting Magazine . In 1806, Francis Daniel,
930-555: A lifejacket – a privately owned Macintosh Life Preserver and seems to have got ashore fairly easily." It was not until lifesaving services were formed that the personal safety of lifeboat crews heading out in pulling boats in generally horrific sea conditions was addressed. The modern life jacket is generally credited to the Inspector of Lifeboats at the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in
1023-407: A massive increase in blood pressure and cardiac strain leading to cardiac arrest , and panic ), another 50% die within 15 – 30 minutes from cold incapacitation (loss of use and control of limbs and hands for swimming or gripping, as the body 'protectively' shuts down the peripheral muscles of the limbs to protect its core), and exhaustion and unconsciousness cause drowning, claiming the rest within
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#17327906541581116-401: A medical complication such as a seizure, or become unconscious. Most life jackets on the market are designed with foam that wraps around the animal's torso and neck. They provide a basic amount of buoyancy for a dog, but may not provide enough support for the head. They are not ideal for use with heavy dogs. However, they often incorporate a grab handle, which may help to hoist the dog back into
1209-506: A pair of air cells (bladders) that can be inflated by triggering the release of carbon dioxide gas from a canister—one for each cell. Alternately, the cells can be inflated "orally", that is by blowing into a flexible tube with a one-way valve to seal the air in the cell. Life jackets must also be supplied on commercial seafaring vessels, be accessible to all crew and passengers, and be donned in an emergency. Flotation devices are also found in near water-edges and at swimming pools. They may take
1302-427: A person spends too much time with their nose and mouth submerged in a liquid to the point of being unable to breathe. If this is not followed by an exit to the surface, low oxygen levels and excess carbon dioxide in the blood trigger a neurological state of breathing emergency, which results in increased physical distress and occasional contractions of the vocal folds . Significant amounts of water usually only enter
1395-559: A physician working at Wapping, exhibited an inflatable life preserver, mounting a demonstration in which a number of suitably equipped men jumped into the Thames below Blackfriars Bridge , and variously played musical instruments, smoked pipes, discharged guns and drank wine, as the tide took them upstream. Daniel pursued his idea for some years, by his own account receiving a gold medal from the Royal Society of Arts after surrendering
1488-404: A possible cause of death if the body was recovered from a body of water, near a fluid that could plausibly have caused drowning, or found with the head immersed in a fluid. A medical diagnosis of death by drowning is generally made after other possible causes of death have been excluded by a complete autopsy and toxicology tests. Indications of drowning are unambiguous and may include bloody froth in
1581-411: A reason for drowning or the clinical cause of death for those who drown in cold water. Upon submersion into cold water, remaining calm and preventing loss of body heat is paramount. While awaiting rescue, swimming or treading water should be limited to conserve energy, and the person should attempt to remove as much of the body from the water as possible; attaching oneself to a buoyant object can improve
1674-461: A serious injury or death. Many behavioral and physical factors are related to drowning: Population groups at risk in the US are the old and young. Some additional causes of drowning can also happen during freediving activities: Drowning is split into four stages: People who do not know how to swim can struggle on the surface of the water for only 20 to 60 seconds before being submerged. In
1767-731: A similar time. A notable example of this occurred during the sinking of the Titanic , in which most people who entered the −2 °C (28 °F) water died within 15–30 minutes. [S]omething that almost no one in the maritime industry understands. That includes mariners [and] even many (most) rescue professionals: It is impossible to die from hypothermia in cold water unless you are wearing flotation, because without flotation – you won't live long enough to become hypothermic. Submersion into cold water can induce cardiac arrhythmias (abnormal heart rates) in healthy people, sometimes causing strong swimmers to drown. The physiological effects caused by
1860-419: A single air chamber or a pair of (twin or double) sealed air chambers constructed of coated nylon (sometimes with a protective outer encasing of heavier, tougher material such as vinyl ), joined, and buckled with a side release buckle . For use aboard ships they may be constructed of foam. Twin air chambers provide for redundancy in the event of one of the air chambers leaking or failing to "fire", for example if
1953-492: A survival vest, bulletproof vest/body armor, equipment harness, rappelling harness, or parachute harness, and the use of ballistic nylon cloth to protect pressurized CO 2 canisters used for inflating the vest from injuring the wearer if struck by a round from a firearm. The ballistic cloth keeps the fragments from the canister from becoming shrapnel injurious to the user. Life jackets or life vests are mandatory on airplanes flying over water bodies, in which case they consist of
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#17327906541582046-444: A user with the necessary buoyancy. They are also designed for minimal maintenance and as they are only constructed from foam and can be mass-produced inexpensively, making them one of the most common forms of PFDs. Some buoyancy aids also come designed especially for children and youth. These vests may include one or two understraps to be worn between the legs of the wearer and also a headrest flap. The understraps are designed to keep
2139-676: A variety of styles and are generally more comfortable and less bulky than traditional foam vests. There are also life vests made especially for women. The air chambers are always located over the breast, across the shoulders and encircle the back of the head. They may be inflated by either self-contained carbon dioxide cartridges activated by pulling a cord , or blow tubes with a one-way valve for inflation by exhalation . Some inflatable life jackets also react with salt or fresh water, which causes them to self-inflate. The latest generation of self-triggering inflation devices responds to water pressure when submerged and incorporates an actuator known as
2232-403: A vehicle cabin. Upon surfacing, the person then inflates the device, orally or by triggering the gas canister release mechanism. Most commercial passenger life jackets are fitted with a plastic whistle for attracting attention. It has a light which is activated when in contact with water. Quality life jackets always provide more buoyancy than offered by the buoyancy aids alone. The positioning of
2325-755: Is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Submersion injury refers to both drowning and near-miss incident. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer assistance. After successful resuscitation , drowning victims may experience breathing problems, confusion, or unconsciousness . Occasionally, victims may not begin experiencing these symptoms until several hours after they are rescued. An incident of drowning can also cause further complications for victims due to low body temperature , aspiration , or acute respiratory distress syndrome (respiratory failure from lung inflammation). Drowning
2418-693: Is automatic and allows both a conscious and an unconscious person to survive longer without oxygen underwater than in a comparable situation on dry land. The exact mechanism for this effect has been debated and may be a result of brain cooling similar to the protective effects seen in people who are treated with deep hypothermia . The actual cause of death in cold or very cold water is usually lethal bodily reactions to increased heat loss and to freezing water, rather than any loss of core body temperature. Of those who die after plunging into freezing seas, around 20% die within 2 minutes from cold shock (uncontrolled rapid breathing and gasping causing water inhalation,
2511-659: Is intended to allow submariners to escape from much deeper depths than currently possible with the Steinke hood . Some United States Navy submarines already have the system, with an ambitious installation and training schedule in place for the remainder of the fleet. Because it is a full-body suit, the Mark 10 provides thermal protection once the wearer reaches the surface, and the Royal Navy has successfully tested it at 180 metres (600 ft) depths. Scuba divers commonly wear
2604-401: Is more likely to happen when spending extended periods of time near large bodies of water. Risk factors for drowning include alcohol use, drug use, epilepsy , minimal swim training or a complete lack of training, and, in the case of children, a lack of supervision. Common drowning locations include natural and man-made bodies of water, bathtubs , and swimming pools . Drowning occurs when
2697-421: Is much greater in drowning than from other origins. Lung density may be higher than normal, but normal weights are possible after cardiac arrest or vasovagal reflex. The lungs may be overinflated and waterlogged, filling the thoracic cavity. The surface may have a marbled appearance, with darker areas associated with collapsed alveoli interspersed with paler aerated areas. Fluid trapped in the lower airways may block
2790-486: Is often sewn to the fabric used to construct life jackets and PFDs to facilitate a person being spotted in darkness when a search light is shone towards the wearer. In the US, federal regulations require all persons under the age of 13 to wear a life jacket (PFD) when in a watercraft under 12 meters long. State regulations may raise or lower this number and must be followed when in that state's jurisdiction. Buoyancy aids are designed to allow freedom of movement while providing
2883-413: Is possible, they should assist from a safe ground position, such as a boat, a pier, or any patch of land near the victim. The fastest way to assist is to throw a buoyant object (such as a lifebuoy or a broad branch). It is very important to avoid aiming directly at the victim, since even the lightest lifebuoys weight over 2 kilograms, and can stun, injure or even render a person unconscious if they impact on
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2976-484: Is responsible for the education and training of lifeguards , swiftwater rescuers and rescue swimmers . It cooperates with German civil protection and German fire services , especially concerning floods . The Wasserwacht provides live-saving services on most lakes in as well as on the coast of Germany. Therefore, they require fast and powerful transportation in case of an emergency. The Wasserwacht oversees regattas and sailing meetings. Rescue divers are needed for
3069-438: Is short-lived. Submerging the face in water cooler than about 21 °C (70 °F) triggers the diving reflex , common to air-breathing vertebrates, especially marine mammals such as whales and seals . This reflex protects the body by putting it into energy-saving mode to maximise the time it can stay underwater. The strength of this reflex is greater in colder water and has three principal effects: The reflex action
3162-433: Is significantly shorter than that in air due to the cold shock response . The breath-hold breakpoint can be suppressed or delayed, either intentionally or unintentionally. Hyperventilation before any dive, deep or shallow, flushes out carbon dioxide in the blood resulting in a dive commencing with an abnormally low carbon dioxide level: a potentially dangerous condition known as hypocapnia . The level of carbon dioxide in
3255-403: Is therefore lost quickly in water compared to air, even in 'cool' swimming waters around 70 °F (~20 °C). A water temperature of 10 °C (50 °F) can lead to death in as little as one hour, and water temperatures hovering at freezing can lead to death in as little as 15 minutes. This is because cold water can have other lethal effects on the body. Hence, hypothermia is not usually
3348-482: Is unable to swim to safely enter water, or as assistance for activities such as water skiing . PFDs are available in different sizes to accommodate variations in body weight . Designs differ depending on wearing convenience, the activities and conditions they are designed to be used in and the level of protection the wearer needs. There are three main types of PFDs: life jackets, buoyancy aids and survival suits ; PFDs are most often constructed out of foam pieces, with
3441-651: The Goldfish Club . British pilot Eric Brown noted in an interview that the Mae West device saved his life after he was forced into the ocean following the sinking of the aircraft carrier he was on, HMS Audacity , by a U-boat in WW2. Out of the 24 crew in his group in the water, the only two who survived were two pilots wearing Mae Wests, the rest were sailors wearing more basic flotation devices (inflatable rings) that kept them afloat, but did not keep their heads out of
3534-611: The UK , Captain John Ross Ward (later Vice Admiral of the Royal Navy ). He created a brown cork vest in 1854 to be worn by lifeboat crews for both weather protection and buoyancy . They would be worn over the blue/grey waterproof oilskins In 1900, French electrical engineer, Gustave Trouvé , patented a battery-powered wearable lifejacket. It incorporated small, rubber-insulated maritime electric batteries not only to inflate
3627-408: The larynx , and water can then enter the lungs, causing a "wet drowning". However, about 7–10% of people maintain this seal until cardiac arrest . This has been called " dry drowning ", as no water enters the lungs. In forensic pathology , water in the lungs indicates that the person was still alive at the point of submersion. An absence of water in the lungs may be either a dry drowning or indicates
3720-420: The lungs . Even small quantities can cause the extrusion of liquid into the lungs ( pulmonary edema ) over the following hours; this reduces the ability to exchange the air and can lead to a person "drowning in their own body fluid". Vomit and certain poisonous vapors or gases (as in chemical warfare ) can have a similar effect. The reaction can take place up to 72 hours after the initial incident and may lead to
3813-412: The vocal cords constrict, sealing the airway . This prevents water from entering the lungs . Because of this laryngospasm, in the initial phase of drowning, water enters the stomach, and very little water enters the lungs. Though laryngospasm prevents water from entering the lungs, it also interferes with breathing. In most people, the laryngospasm relaxes sometime after unconsciousness due to hypoxia in
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3906-776: The Halkey Roberts Pro firing system have all but eliminated accidental firing. Drifting in open seas and international waters, as encountered on long sea voyages and by military forces, requires prolonged survival in water. Suitable life jackets are often attached to a vest with pockets and attachment points for distress signaling and survival aids, for example, a handheld two-way radio ( walkie-talkie ), emergency beacon (406 MHz frequency), signal mirror, sea marker dye, smoke or light signal flares, strobe light, first-aid supplies, concentrated nutritional items, water purification supplies, shark repellent , knife, and pistol. Accessories such as leg straps can be utilized to keep
3999-714: The Wasserwacht, as a government organization, was forbidden by the allied military administration. But the Bavarian Red Cross , Bavarian regional organization of the German Red Cross, received permission to resume its work. Other regional organizations followed the example of Bavaria and reinstated their lifeguard services. For the execution of emergency services on water, the Wasserwacht maintains Schnelleinsatzgruppen (emergency response units). The groups are usually equipped with special lifeguard and emergency service machinery. Drowning Drowning
4092-526: The airway and providing five breaths of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation . Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is recommended for a person whose heart has stopped beating and has been underwater for less than an hour. A major contributor to drowning is the inability to swim. Other contributing factors include the state of the water itself, distance from a solid footing, physical impairment, or prior loss of consciousness. Anxiety brought on by fear of drowning or water itself can lead to exhaustion, thus increasing
4185-433: The airway, water in the stomach, cerebral edema and petrous or mastoid hemorrhage. Some evidence of immersion may be unrelated to the cause of death, and lacerations and abrasions may have occurred before or after immersion or death. Diatoms should normally never be present in human tissue unless water was aspirated. Their presence in tissues such as bone marrow suggests drowning; however, they are present in soil and
4278-503: The alveolar-capillary membrane. Still, there is no clinical difference between salt and freshwater drowning. Once someone has reached definitive care, supportive care strategies such as mechanical ventilation can help to reduce the complications of ALI/ARDS. Whether a person drowns in freshwater or salt water makes no difference in respiratory management or its outcome. People who drown in freshwater may experience worse hypoxemia early in their treatment; however, this initial difference
4371-407: The atmosphere, and samples may be contaminated. An absence of diatoms does not rule out drowning, as they are not always present in water. A match of diatom shells to those found in the water may provide supporting evidence of the place of death. Drowning in saltwater can leave different concentrations of sodium and chloride ions in the left and right chambers of the heart, but they will dissipate if
4464-495: The attachment of rescue gear) are made for swiftwater rescue technicians . Personal flotation devices have been developed for dogs and other pets. While the USCG does not certify personal flotation devices for animals, many manufacturers produce life jackets for dogs and cats. Dogs and cats have been known to die from drowning, either because they do not know how to swim, or because they tire out from overexposure or old age, or have
4557-473: The best conditions, a person was resuscitated after 65 minutes underwater. ‹The template How-to is being considered for merging .› When a person is drowning or a swimmer becomes missing, a fast water rescue may become necessary, to take that person out of the water as soon as possible. Drowning is not necessarily violent or loud, with splashing and cries; it can be silent. Rescuers should avoid endangering themselves unnecessarily; whenever it
4650-408: The blood after hyperventilation may then be insufficient to trigger the breathing reflex later in the dive. Following this, a blackout may occur before the diver feels an urgent need to breathe. This can occur at any depth and is common in distance breath-hold divers in swimming pools . Both deep and distance free divers often use hyperventilation to flush out carbon dioxide from the lungs to suppress
4743-408: The bloodstream and reduces the time until unconsciousness. The person can voluntarily hold their breath for some time, but the breathing reflex will increase until the person tries to breathe, even when submerged. The breathing reflex in the human body is weakly related to the amount of oxygen in the blood but strongly related to the amount of carbon dioxide (see Hypercapnia ). During an apnea,
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#17327906541584836-583: The bloodstream. Hypercapnia and hypoxia both contribute to laryngeal relaxation, after which the airway is open through the trachea. There is also bronchospasm and mucous production in the bronchi associated with laryngospasm, and these may prevent water entry at terminal relaxation. The hypoxemia and acidosis caused by asphyxia in drowning affect various organs. There can be central nervous system damage, cardiac arrhythmia, pulmonary injury, reperfusion injury, and multiple-organ secondary injury with prolonged tissue hypoxia. A lack of oxygen or chemical changes in
4929-462: The boat. Although most pet life jackets are passive devices, there is at least one automatically inflated life jacket available for pets (made by Critter's Inflatable, LLC). An automatic flotation device is generally more expensive than a foam life jacket, but, like automatic PFDs designed for humans, they are less bulky to wear when not inflated, and when inflated may provide more buoyancy than foam devices. Automatic pet flotation devices are popular in
5022-423: The breathing reflex for longer. It is important not to mistake this for an attempt to increase the body's oxygen store. The body at rest is fully oxygenated by normal breathing and cannot take on any more. Breath-holding in water should always be supervised by a second person, as by hyperventilating, one increases the risk of shallow water blackout because insufficient carbon dioxide levels in the blood fail to trigger
5115-399: The breathing reflex. A continued lack of oxygen in the brain, hypoxia , will quickly render a person unconscious, usually around a blood partial pressure of oxygen of 25–30 mmHg. An unconscious person rescued with an airway still sealed from laryngospasm stands a good chance of a full recovery. Artificial respiration is also much more effective without water in the lungs. At this point,
5208-694: The buoyancy on the wearer's torso is such that a righting moment (rotational force) results that will eventually turn most persons who are floating face down in the water (for example, because they are unconscious) into a face up orientation with their bodies inclined backward, unlike more simply designed common foam buoyancy vests. A life jacket that is too loose may not provide sufficient buoyancy in case of an emergency. Today these air chamber vests are commonly referred to as 'inflatable life jackets or vests' and are available not only for commercial applications but also for those engaged in recreational boating, fishing, sailing, kayaking and canoeing. They are available in
5301-490: The capillaries to be carried to internal organs. The presence of these diatoms may be diagnostic of drowning. Of people who have survived drowning, almost one-third will experience complications such as acute lung injury (ALI) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ALI/ARDS can be triggered by pneumonia, sepsis, and water aspiration . These conditions are life-threatening disorders that can result in death if not treated promptly. During drowning, aspirated water enters
5394-785: The chance of survival should unconsciousness occur. Hypothermia (and cardiac arrest) presents a risk for survivors of immersion. This risk increases if the survivor—feeling well again—tries to get up and move, not realizing their core body temperature is still very low and will take a long time to recover. Most people who experience cold-water drowning do not develop hypothermia quickly enough to decrease cerebral metabolism before ischemia and irreversible hypoxia occur. The neuroprotective effects appear to require water temperatures below about 5 °C (41 °F). The World Health Organization in 2005 defined drowning as "the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid." This definition does not imply death or even
5487-695: The chances of drowning. Approximately 90% of drownings take place in freshwater (rivers, lakes, and a relatively small number of swimming pools ); the remaining 10% take place in seawater . Drownings in other fluids are rare and often related to industrial accidents . In New Zealand's early colonial history, so many settlers died while trying to cross the rivers that drowning was called "the New Zealand death". People have drowned in as little as 30 mm (1.2 in) of water while lying face down. Death can occur due to complications following an initial drowning. Inhaled fluid can act as an irritant inside
5580-574: The craft capsize. To be on the safe side, a pill-activated inflation device is preferred. A small pill that dissolves on water contact is the safest option, as it also works in shallow waters where a hydrostatic activator fails. This type of jacket is called an 'automatic'. As it is more sensitive to the presence of water, early models could also be activated by very heavy rain or spray. For this reason, spare re-arming kits should be carried on board for each life jacket. However, with modern cup/bobbin mechanisms this problem rarely arises and mechanisms such as
5673-551: The design of life jackets was also conducted in the UK by Edgar Pask , the first Professor of Anaesthesia at Newcastle University . His research involved self-administered anaesthesia as a means of simulating unconsciousness in freezing sea-water. Pask's work earned him the OBE and the description of "the bravest man in the RAF never to have flown an aeroplane". The M1926 Life Preserver belt
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#17327906541585766-402: The deterioration of brain cells, causing first brain damage and eventually brain death after six minutes from which recovery is generally considered impossible. Hypothermia of the central nervous system may prolong this. In cold temperatures below 6 °C, the brain may be cooled sufficiently to allow for a survival time of more than an hour. The extent of central nervous system injury to
5859-454: The diving reflex conflict with the body's cold shock response, which includes a gasp and uncontrollable hyperventilation leading to aspiration of water. While breath-holding triggers a slower heart rate , cold shock activates tachycardia , an increase in heart rate. It is thought that this conflict of these nervous system responses may account for the arrhythmias of cold water submersion. Heat transfers very well into water, and body heat
5952-542: The early stages of drowning, a person holds their breath to prevent water from entering their lungs. When this is no longer possible, a small amount of water entering the trachea causes a muscular spasm that seals the airway and prevents further passage of water. If the process is not interrupted, loss of consciousness due to hypoxia is followed by cardiac arrest. A conscious person will hold their breath (see Apnea ) and will try to access air, often resulting in panic , including rapid body movement. This uses up more oxygen in
6045-492: The exception of some life jackets which are inflated with air. Other highly specialized forms of PFDs include buoyancy compensators used for scuba diving , and submarine escape devices. The oldest examples of primitive life jackets can be traced back to inflated bladders, animal skins, or hollow sealed gourds for support when crossing deep streams and rivers. Purpose-designed buoyant safety devices consisting of simple blocks of wood or cork were used by Norwegian seamen. In
6138-476: The following: The concept of water safety involves the procedures and policies that are directed to prevent people from drowning or from becoming injured in water. The time a person can safely stay underwater depends on many factors, including energy consumption, number of prior breaths, physical condition, and age. An average person can last between one and three minutes before falling unconscious and around ten minutes before dying. In an unusual case with
6231-463: The form of a simple vest , a jacket , a full-body suit (one piece coverall), or their variations suited for particular purposes. They are most commonly made of a tough synthetic fiber material encapsulating a source of buoyancy, such as foam or a chamber of air, and are often brightly colored yellow or orange to maximize visibility for rescuers. Some devices consist of a combination of both buoyancy foam and an air chamber. Retroreflective "SOLAS" tape
6324-452: The head. Another way to assist is to reach the victim with an object to grasp, and then pull both of them out of the water. Some examples include: ropes, oars, broad branches, poles, one's own arm, a hand, etc. This carries the risk of the rescuer being pulled into the water by the victim, so the rescuer must take a firm stand, lying down, as well as securing to some stable point. Any rescue with vehicles would have to avoid trampling or damaging
6417-547: The idea to them. Personal flotation devices were not part of the equipment issued to naval sailors until the early 19th century, for example at the Napoleonic Battle of Trafalgar , although seamen who were press-ganged into naval service might have used such devices to jump ship and swim to freedom. Following the 1852 sinking of the troopship Birkenhead , Ensign G.A. Lucas of the 73rd Regiment of Foot wrote "Cornet Bond, 12th Lancers, was...the only person to have
6510-430: The inflated chambers in position for floating in a stable attitude, and splash or face shields constructed of clear see-through vinyl covers the head and face to prevent water from waves from inundating the face and entering the airway through the nose or mouth. Some formats of PFDs are designed for long term immersion in cold water in that they provide insulation as well as buoyancy. While a wetsuit of neoprene rubber or
6603-468: The inflated life preserver often appeared to be as large-breasted as the actress Mae West . It was popular during the Second World War with U.S. Army Air Forces and Royal Air Force servicemen, who were issued inflatable Mae Wests as part of their flight gear. Air crew members whose lives were saved by use of the Mae West (and other personal flotation devices) were eligible for membership in
6696-689: The jacket, but also to power a light to transmit and receive SOS messages and to launch a distress flare. In 1904 the rigid cork material was supplanted by pouches containing watertight cells filled with kapok , a vegetable material. These soft cells were much more flexible and comfortable to wear compared with devices using hard cork pieces. Kapok buoyancy was used in many navies fighting in World War II . In 1972 yellow or red Beaufort synthetic foam life jackets supplanted kapok for 'inherently buoyant' (vs. inflated and therefore not inherently buoyant) flotation. These modern jackets could support not only
6789-450: The lung tissues, causes a reduction in pulmonary surfactant , obstructs ventilation, and triggers a release of inflammatory mediators which results in hypoxia . Specifically, upon reaching the alveoli, hypotonic liquid found in freshwater dilutes pulmonary surfactant, destroying the substance. Comparatively, aspiration of hypertonic seawater draws liquid from the plasma into the alveoli and similarly causes damage to surfactant by disrupting
6882-857: The lungs later in the process. While the word "drowning" is commonly associated with fatal results, drowning may be classified into three different types: drowning that results in death, drowning that results in long-lasting health problems, and drowning that results in no health complications. Sometimes the term "near-drowning" is used in the latter cases. Among children who survive, health problems occur in about 7.5% of cases. Steps to prevent drowning include teaching children and adults to swim and to recognise unsafe water conditions, never swimming alone, use of personal flotation devices on boats and when swimming in unfavourable conditions, limiting or removing access to water (such as with fencing of swimming pools), and exercising appropriate supervision. Treatment of victims who are not breathing should begin with opening
6975-399: The lungs may cause the heart to stop beating. This cardiac arrest stops the flow of blood and thus stops the transport of oxygen to the brain. Cardiac arrest used to be the traditional point of death, but at this point, there is still a chance of recovery. The brain cannot survive long without oxygen, and the continued lack of oxygen in the blood, combined with the cardiac arrest, will lead to
7068-455: The most difficult in forensic medicine. External examination and autopsy findings are often non-specific, and the available laboratory tests are often inconclusive or controversial. The purpose of an investigation is to distinguish whether the death was due to immersion or whether the body was immersed postmortem. The mechanism in acute drowning is hypoxemia and irreversible cerebral anoxia due to submersion in liquid. Drowning would be considered
7161-402: The necessity for medical treatment after removing the cause, nor that any fluid enters the lungs. The WHO classifies this as death , morbidity , and no morbidity. There was also consensus that the terms wet, dry, active, passive, silent, and secondary drowning should no longer be used. Experts differentiate between distress and drowning. Forensic diagnosis of drowning is considered one of
7254-407: The other departments of the German Red Cross. The Bavarian city Regensburg is considered to be the birthplace of the lifeguard service of the German Red Cross. In 1883, during a flood, German Red Cross aids were used for the first time. In the following years, "Sanität und Wasserwehrkolonnen" (medical and water rescue stations) developed along the coast and inland waters. After World War II ,
7347-544: The oxygen in the body is used by the cells and excreted as carbon dioxide. Thus, the level of oxygen in the blood decreases, and the level of carbon dioxide increases. Increasing carbon dioxide levels lead to a stronger and stronger breathing reflex, up to the breath-hold breakpoint , at which the person can no longer voluntarily hold their breath. This typically occurs at an arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide of 55 mm Hg but may differ significantly between people. When submerged into cold water, breath-holding time
7440-407: The passive collapse that is normal after death. Hemorrhagic bullae of emphysema may be found. These are related to the rupture of alveolar walls. These signs, while suggestive of drowning, are not conclusive. It is estimated that more than 85% of drownings could be prevented by supervision, training in water skills, technology, and public education. Measures that help to prevent drowning include
7533-408: The person stands a good chance of recovery if attended to within minutes. More than 10% of drownings may involve laryngospasm , but the evidence suggests that it is not usually effective at preventing water from entering the trachea. The lack of water found in the lungs during autopsy does not necessarily mean there was no water at the time of drowning, as small amounts of freshwater are absorbed into
7626-413: The person survived for some time after the aspiration, or if CPR was attempted, and have been described in other causes of death. Most autopsy findings relate to asphyxia and are not specific to drowning. The signs of drowning are degraded by decomposition. Large amounts of froth will be present around the mouth and nostrils and in the upper and lower airways in freshly drowned bodies. The volume of froth
7719-483: The rescuer but the rescued at the same time. The University of Victoria pioneered research and development of the UVic Thermo Float PFD, which provides superior protection from immersion hypothermia by incorporating a neoprene rubber "diaper" that seals the user's upper thigh and groin region from contact with otherwise cold, flushing and debilitating water. During World War II, research to improve
7812-424: The salvaging of goods, vehicles, garbage, and corpses. The education of a rescue diver usually takes one to two years. Each active rescue diver of the Wasserwacht is required to undergo a dive-medical investigation annually. A task of the Wasserwacht is helping to keep nature and waterways clean. In order to accomplish these tasks the Wasserwacht educates interested people with qualified technical abilities from
7905-438: The thin air cell fabric is sliced open by sharp metal fragments during emergency evacuation and egress. Most life jackets for leisure use are of the single air chamber type. Aircraft devices for crew and passengers are always inflatable since it may be necessary to swim down and away from a ditched or submerged aircraft and inflated or foam filled devices would significantly impede a person from swimming downward in order to escape
7998-462: The time, was that it did not keep the wearer's head back out of the water while they were floating. This meant if they went unconscious they would roll forward and end up face down in the water and drown. The Mae West was a common nickname for the first inflatable life preserver, which was invented in 1928 by Peter Markus (1885–1974) ( US Patent 1694714), with his subsequent improvements in 1930 and 1931. The nickname originated because someone wearing
8091-417: The vest from riding up when worn in the water and restrict the wearer from slipping out of the life vest. These straps are adjustable and are included on many different life vests designed to be worn by everyone from infants to adults. The headrest flap is designed to help support the head and keep it out of the water. A grab handle is attached to the headrest to be used if needed to rescue or lift someone out of
8184-400: The victim in another manner. Also, there are modern flying drones that can drop life jackets. Bystanders should immediately call for help. A lifeguard should be called, if present. If not, an emergency telephone number should be contacted as soon as possible, to get the help of professionals and paramedics . In some cases of drowning, victims have been rescued by professionals from a boat or
8277-455: The water face-down. In these cases the buoyancy of the clothing holds a person on the water surface, which prevents the hydrostatic release. As a result, a person can drown although wearing a fully functional life jacket. In addition there are some circumstances in which the use of self-triggering devices can result in the wearer becoming trapped underwater. For example, the coxswain of a bowloader rowing shell risks being unable to escape should
8370-522: The water. Devices designed and approved by authorities for use by civilians (recreational boaters, sailors, canoeists , kayakers ) differ from those designed for use by passengers and crew of aircraft (helicopters, airplanes) and of commercial vessels ( tugboats , passenger ferries, cargo ships). Devices used by government and military (e.g. water police , coast guard , navy , marines ) generally have features not found on civilian or commercial models, for example compatibility with other items worn, like
8463-454: The water. Buoyancy aids are rated by the amount of buoyancy they provide in Newtons - the minimum rating to be considered suitable as an adult life-jacket for offshore use is 150 newtons (34 lbf ). Life jackets for outfitting large commercial transport ventures in potentially dangerous waters, such as coastal cruises, offshore passages, and overwater air flights, consisting of either
8556-557: The wearer should they end up in the water. PFDs are also kept on large vessels for passengers to wear in an emergency in order to help them stay afloat should they be forced to enter the water or accidentally fall overboard during an evacuation. PFDs are commonly worn for swimming and/or other activities that require an individual to be in water. This is for reasons such as safety (to prevent the drowning of weak swimmers, swimmers in dangerous conditions or swimmers far from safety), to make swimming easier and less demanding, to allow someone who
8649-511: Was issued to US infantry where they were on ships or near the water, in particular amphibious landings such as D-Day. The belt had two CO 2 bottles that could be activated to inflate the belt if needed, or it could be blown up manually with a tube, if the CO 2 bottles failed. The Admiralty Pattern 14124 inflatable life ring was the main life preserver issued to British sailors at the start of WW2. It provided about 8.5 lbs of buoyancy. Its inherent flaw, and an issue with many life preservers at
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