Swim-safe

ZAMBALES LIFESAVING INC.
presents
www.zambaleslifesaving.org
"Swim-safe"
A FREE
Drowning Awareness and
Prevention program for
Children and Parents
Short video introduction here
©Zambales Lifesaving Inc.

© ZAMBALES LIFESAVING INC. Purok IV. Bancal Botolan Zambales
The Swim-safe program is
not based on swimming
lessons, it is based wholly
on
SURVIVAL TECHNIQUES.
What you will learn here is
how to recognize dangers
and potential hazards, so
as to minimize your risks
and thus, increase the
safety and well-being of
your children.

One of the most important
things you need to learn is:
REACH OR
THROW
BUT NEVER GO!
Only a trained and certified
Lifeguard should attempt
to conduct an "in water"
rescue, as an untrained
person can easily become
another victim!

So act quickly and find
anything that floats that
you can throw to the
person in difficulty so they
can stay afloat, or reach to
them with anything
accessible that allows you
to extend your reach such
as a towel, beach umbrella,
pool leaf skimmer,
plastic bottle or rope etc.
You can view a Video here

Beach hazards:
RIP currents:
Only occur when there are waves.
Basically, the water piling up on
the beach must return to the sea,
so it creates gullies in the sand, or
flows parallel along the beach to
the end of the beach, reef or a
headland, for it to flow back to the
sea.
If you understand them, they are
not so dangerous. In fact, lifesavers
and surfers generally use these as
the fastest way out beyond the
breaking waves.

Understanding RIP currents, as
before, they only exist if there is
wave action, no waves = no RIPs.
The general behavior of RIPs is to
return water to the sea, thus, if
you are in one you may be swept
out to sea. Three important factors
to remember:
1. RIP's do not pull you under the
water.
2. RIP's do not go far out to sea,
generally they only go as far as
to where the waves are breaking
and not further.
3. NEVER swim against the RIP as
you may be swimming backwards
and just tire yourself out.

If you get caught in a RIP, do the
following:
Swim parallel to the beach until
you feel the effects of the RIP have
stopped, then swim back to the
beach, often at that point you can
probe with your feet and find a
sand bar to assist you.

Common signs of a
RIP current:
No breaking waves.
Rippled appearance on the
waters surface.
Discolored water or debris
flowing out beyond the waves.
You can view videos here.

Inshore holes or gutters:
These are another potentially
dangerous hazard, generally found
right at the shores edge. These are
especially dangerous for small
children and non swimmers, as
you can find yourself going from
shallow water to over your head in
just one step.
This occurs when you have surging
waves breaking right on the shore
line, these waves excavate the
sands so the water can flow along
the beach and then back to the
sea.

You can find yourself going from this....
in just one step, to this....
Video available here.

Other dangers:
Heat exhaustion and
Heat stroke.
Both of the above are caused by
dehydration, being immersed in
water makes you feel cool, but you
are still loosing body fluids, so
remember to drink plenty of fluids
and avoid direct exposure to the
sun where possible.
Sunburn.
Always remember to use sunscreen
and avoid direct exposure to the
sun where possible.

Marine Stingers:
There are a large number of Jelly
fish and other creatures that can
sting. In most cases, wash with
Vinegar for at least 5 minutes will
remove the pain.
For both Bluebottles (Portuguese
Man o War) and
penetration from
fish spines or Sea
Urchins, soak in
hot water (42°C)
for at least 60
minutes.
Cone Shells.
All cone shaped
shells can sting,
some in fact, can
even be fatal.

Rivers and Creeks:
have a number of hazards that you
need to be aware of, such as:
Submerged branches and snags.
Uneven and stony bottoms.
Currents, especially in rainy season.
REMEMBER: Never dive or rope
swing into areas that you have not
confirmed are deep enough and
free of snags or obstructions.
If the water is dirty, be very careful
in exploring the area for safety.

Waterfalls:
Can be exceptionally dangerous,
be extra careful if you plan to
climb, as the rocks can be very
slippery.
Never jump or dive off the
waterfall without first checking
that the water is deep enough to
do so safely.
Waterfalls can also create an
"undertow" that can trap you at
the bottom, see below to escape.

SWIMMING POOLS
and other closed water
environments, such as rivers,
creeks and lakes.
REACH or THROW
is a must in all of these places.
Link to video here.
DANGERS AROUND
THE HOME:
Did you know that hundreds of
children actually drown in their
homes every year.
Do you have any idea why?

Yes.... the common pail or dish
for washing clothes, left with
water and unattended, these are
a death trap for young children,
especially toddlers, many do not
realize, but it only takes as little
as 20 mm of water to drown.

So always be sure to either empty
the container and store it either
on it's side, or upside down, so as
it cannot hold water, or
alternatively cover it with a sealed
child proof cover.
Supervising children
It is very common for a parent or
adult to supervise children when
they are enjoying a splash in the
pool or at the beach, however
statistics are showing a large
increase in the number of children
who drown whilst under the
supervision of an adult, from 45% a
decade ago to 86% today. WHY?

Yes DISTRACTIONS
Due to the growing number of
smart phones, gadgets and laptop
computers, many who should be
supervising are far too distracted to
do so, so if you are the one to
supervise, leave your phone, gadget
or laptop in your bag, or better still
in the car or at home.

Another common problem is that
many people do not understand
that drowning, more often than
not, is silent. This is because in
most cases the child is so scared or
has ingested large quantities of
water that they are unable to shout
for help.
In many cases, those supervising
think the child is splashing and
playing, when in fact they are in
dire difficulties.
So it is important to be able to
recognize the signs of drowning, as
it is only a matter of 4 minutes or
less till irreversible brain damage.

Early warning signs
Vigorous exertion
High 02 Consumption
Head above water
Flailing arms
Shouting
Shivering
Crying

Secondary Warning stage
Low exertion
Sporadic breathing
Water ingestion
Head submersion
Increased C02 build up
Minimal arm movement
4 – 6 min. 02 reserve
No help request

Final stage
No movement
No signs of life
From this point there is less than
4 minutes until irreversible brain
damage occurs.

Do not rely on others, even trained
Lifeguards and Lifesavers, to watch
your children, they are not there to
be babysitters, nobody knows your
children better than you, so realize
your responsibility and concentrate
on your children, not your phone or
gadget.
SECONDARY DROWNING:
is something that most people
have never heard of and are totally
unaware of, but does occur in 1%
to 2% of non-fatal drownings, in
the Philippines that relates to
between 3,000 and 4,000
unnecessary deaths each year.

Secondary drowning is caused by
aspirating a small amount of
water into the lungs and can occur
many hours after the incident,
some medical specialists say this
can occur up to 72 hours later.
So if your child has had a situation
where they may have ingested
water you need to keep a close
eye on them.
Symptoms include:
Coughing, Irritability, Lack of alertness and
are easily exhausted,
If your child shows any of these signs, seek
medical care immediately!
Do not lay your child down as that may
accelerate the condition.
Video available here.

Zambales Lifesaving Inc.
run this program FREE to the
public every year for 7 to 12 year
olds, along with a Parent or
Guardian, as it is as important to
teach the adults as to what
dangers exist and how to deal
with them, as it is the children.
During the actual program, our
instructors also introduce the
participants to actual scenarios in
the pool and teach the children
how to "FLOAT", because if you
can float you can survive, as they
will not panic, thus can call and
wait for assistance.
Video available here

We wish to thank the following who
support this program every year.
For Northern and Central Zambales.
For Southern Zambales and the
Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Dr. Johan Ong.
and the continued support of
Check our Social Media Page for upcoming programs

We wish to thank the following for materials
and videos used in this presentation.
ABC - 22 News
Australian Lifesaving Academy New South Wales
Pro Trainings
Royal Life Saving Society Australia
Surf Life Saving Australia
Surf Life Saving Far North Coast
University of New South Wales
For all your insurance needs, Household - Business - Vehicular - Marine and others.
Standard Insurance Co., Inc. is committed to continuously improve the quality of
service to the insuring public through fairness, professionalism, innovation, and
simplicity.
Call 0917 821 2366 for information or visit their Facebook page for the Olongapo
Branch

If you are interested on
information for dates
and venues of our future
Swim-safe
programs
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