WHAT TO DO IN AN EMERGENCY

EVEN confident swimmers can end up in trouble, particularly in unfamiliar waters. If you find someone unconscious and not breathing, whether they’ve been in water or not, CPR is essential.

DROWNING

A drowning person may not scream for help or thrash around. Children in particular may not even perceive that they are in danger. This is why many drownings can go unnoticed, even if family and friends are nearby. WHAT TO DO do not put yourself in danger to rescue someone. once the person has been rescued from the water, check their breathing and responsiveness. if they are unresponsive and have stopped breathing, ask someone to ring 999 or 112 for emergency help, and to fetch a defibrillator while you perform CPR. if there is no one else around, call an ambulance — they will bring a defibrillator. Start CPR by giving five rescue breaths. open the airway by tilting the head. To do this, put one hand on the forehead and the other hand under the chin, and lift gently upwards. remove any visible obstructions from the mouth and nose.

Take your hand f rom their forehead and pinch their nostrils closed, allowing their mouth to fall open. Take a breath in and place your mouth over theirs to form a seal. Blow into their mouth for one second until the chest rises. Take your mouth away and watch the chest fall. if the chest does not rise, check that the airway is open. Carry on performing CPR — do 30 chest compressions alternating with two rescue breaths (see Performing CPR section below).

repeat the pattern of 30 compressions and two rescue breaths until help arrives.

if the person begins breathing, put them into the recovery position so that any vomit will not block their airway.

Cover with a blanket or warm clothes to prevent hypothermia.

RECOVERY POSITION

if you come across someone who has collapsed and is unresponsive, check if they are breathing. if their airway is blocked, clear it. Listen for breathing by placing your ear above their mouth, while looking down the body for movement for ten seconds. if they are breathing, put them in the recovery position to make sure their airway remains clear. WHAT TO DO

Ensure the person is on their back and kneel beside them. Straighten their legs.

Place the arm nearest to you at a right angle to the body with elbow bent and palm upwards.

Bring their other arm across their chest and place the back of their hand against the cheek nearest to you. Hold it there.

with your other hand, pull the far knee up so that the sole of the foot is flat on the floor.

Keep the back of the casualty’s hand pressed against their cheek and pull on the far leg to roll them towards you on their side. Adjust the top leg so it’s bent at a right angle.

gently lift the head back and their chin up to keep the airway open.

Call 999 or 112 for emergency help. if 30 minutes elapses, put them onto the other side.

PERFORMING CPR

EVERY year in the UK thousands of people have a cardiac arrest, where the heart stops beating properly, so blood is no longer circulating to the body and the brain.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) alone won’t restart a heart, but it’s vital to keep blood moving until it can be ‘shocked’ into action with a defibrillator. WHAT TO DO

Carefully put the person flat on their back.

give 30 chest compressions, pressing down to a depth of 5- 6cm at a rate of 100- 120 a minute.

The rhythm of The Bee gees’ song Stayin’ Alive or the children’s tune nellie The Elephant can help you keep the right beat.

Then give two rescue breaths. if you cannot give rescue breaths, or are unwilling to, just give chest compressions.

repeat this pattern until help arrives.