Life Saving

• Safety Consciousness

  • One knows how to avoid hazardous water conditions and practices.​
  • It also means being able to use self-rescue skills to get out of dangerous situations.
• LIFE GUARDS

  • Lifeguards are the unsung heroes who work relentlessly to protect lives at sea. Patrolling beaches for hours on end, keeping a sharp eye on every tourist, and risking their own lives day-in and day-out to save others is not an easy job.
• LIFE GUARDS

  • An important phase in the journey towards becoming a lifeguard is safety training. Lifeguards have to be well-versed in life-saving procedures and familiarize themselves with the safety equipment they have to use. Additionally, they are also expected to use personal life-safety equipment to prevent accidents to themselves during rescue operations.
• LIFE GUARDS

  • Here we take a look at both, the safety equipment used by lifeguards to protect people from drowning as well as the personal safety equipment they themselves use.
• EQUIPMENTS IN RESCUING

  Rescue Tube

  • A rescue tube is made up of high-density foam and used in multiple ways to protect the victim from drowning. The lifeguard swims out with the rescue tube dragging behind him/her till he reaches the person in distress. The victim can then rest on the rescue tube and slowly start swimming towards the shore, aided by the lifeguard. If the person is too exhausted or traumatized to swim, the tube can be wrapped around the person’s body and the lifeguard pulls them back to the safety of the shore.
• EQUIPMENTS IN RESCUING

  Backboard/ Spine board

  • A backboard, also known as a spine board, is used by lifeguards to rescue victims who have suffered injuries in the water or have fallen unconscious and are unable to support themselves. It often comes with a head immobilizer to prevent the victim’s head from being moved in case of cranial injuries. The victim is strapped to the board and dragged swiftly to the shore with the help of a backboard.    
•  EQUIPMENTS IN RESCUING

  Shepherd’s crook

  • A shepherd’s crook, or a lifesaving hook, is generally used by lifeguards at swimming pools to pull people out of the water. As the name suggests, the hook has a shape like that of a shepherd’s crook, though it is very flexible. The hook is attached to a long aluminum pole which can extend easily through the water. Lifeguards grab the victim using the hook and pull them to the deck gradually.
• EQUIPMENTS IN RESCUING

  Ring Buoy

  • Ring buoys are one of the most frequently used safety equipment by lifeguards, for deep-sea rescues. Life buoys are shaped like a donut and can be placed around the victim’s waist or under the armpits to help them float. They are usually made of HDPE shells filled with dense foam and colored bright orange to be easily visible at a distance.
  • Lifeguards need to ensure that they throw the ring buoy properly towards the victim so that they do not hit the person accidentally.
• EQUIPMENTS IN RESCUING

  Onsite Automated External Defibrillators

  • These are one of the most critical tools used by lifeguards. They are used to provide emergency heart restarts to victims who have suffered a cardiac arrest during swimming and need rescue. Lifeguards are trained to correctly and efficiently use defibrillators only in extreme cases.
• EQUIPMENTS IN RESCUING

  Emergency oxygen

  • Emergency oxygen cylinders are used to provide additional oxygen to victims who have trouble in breathing. The pulse and oxygen concentration of the person is first measured by using a pulse oximeter. The lifeguard then switches on the oxygen cylinder and fills up the air-bag with a sufficient quantity of oxygen, depending on the victim’s requirement, and asks the person to inhale slowly and at a measured pace. Lifeguards have to handle oxygen cylinders very carefully because they are under high pressure.
• EQUIPMENTS IN RESCUING

  Life Jacket
• EQUIPMENTS IN RESCUING

  First aid kits

  • First-aid kits used by lifeguards contain CPR and first-aid supplies like crepe and gauze bandages, antiseptic wipes, sting-relief wipes, wound closures, antibiotics, antiseptic salves for minor cuts, bruises, scrapes, and irritations.​
• THREE MAJOR CAUSES OF DROWNING:

  • Failure to recognize hazardous conditions or practices.​
  • Inability to get out of dangerous situations.​
  • Lack of knowledge of safe ways in which to aid persons requiring assistance in the water.