Surely you have seen or heard of Baywatch. Professionals are physically and mentally prepared to carry out any lifeguarding task efficiently and quickly, saving the lives of swimmers or surfers on the impressive beaches of California. We are convinced that when you finish reading this post, the Save Me song that was the tune for this 90s series will end up resonating in your head and you will want to run to become a hero without a cape… but with a swimsuit.
If you want to be part of one of the most popular lifeguarding training near me teams and walk along the coast with your goggles and your float in hand in search of strong emotions, at The American Lifeguard Association we have been providing the lifeguard training Course for you so that you can train in a discipline with many professional opportunities to achieve a professional future worthy of a series in which you will be the protagonist.
What is lifeguarding?
Lifeguarding is a discipline that encompasses a multitude of techniques and specific efforts aimed at saving the lives of people in the aquatic environment. Among the most common cases where this discipline is required are drowning, attacks by marine animals such as jellyfish or even fish of any kind, or the shipwreck of the ship’s crew. In these cases, an agile and effective action is required from the lifeguard, since time is vital to safeguard the lives of people in this environment.
Consequently, among the vital requirements to become these professionals is the maintenance of good physical condition and knowledge of these techniques that involve lifeguarding, among which are those known as first aid.
How is lifeguarding done?
The work of lifeguards can be included in tasks such as protection, warning or lifeguarding. In this regard, it will be up to these professionals to identify the victims of aquatic drowning, take precautions to avoid causing panic and carry out actions aimed at avoiding a worsening of the situation.
The identification of drowning can be facilitated by studying different signs that can show this situation, among which are:
- The person tries to keep the mouth above the surface to avoid drowning and makes sudden movements up and down in the water.
- He waves his hands in distress or trying to be seen.
- There is no advance towards the shore on the part of the person.
- The lack of oxygen prevents calling for help.
If we find ourselves in any of these cases, it will be convenient to save this person the lifeguarding professionals and provide first aid while waiting for the corresponding medical attention.
What are the lifeguarding techniques in swimming pools?
When an aquatic accident or drowning occurs, it is vital to know the lifeguarding techniques that save people’s lives. Among the most outstanding is the trailer that has the following characteristics:
- Drag the victim to avoid more serious injuries.
- Keep the victim’s face off the surface.
- Assess your condition during the water rescue in case you become unconscious.
However, there are other water rescue techniques that will depend on the circumstances of the accident and the injured person. These will also be applied taking into account whether the injured party is conscious or unconscious.
Also Check: ALA lifeguard training in New York
Water Rescue Techniques With The Unconscious Victim
- Grab by the neck: the arm in this technique must be at a 90º angle grabbing the victim and the other arm will be reached until reaching the edge of the pool or the shore. This technique is applied to injured with lightweight.
- Shoulder-armpit: this technique allows the lifeguard to swim backwards since it consists of placing the arm on the shoulder of the injured person and grabbing the armpit of the opposite side. This technique is applied to injured with very weight.
- Winch manoeuvre: exceptionally there may be evidence of spinal injury, for this, the chin is protected with one hand and the other grabs the chest of the injured person. In this way, the lifeguard swims on his back using his feet.
Lifeguarding Techniques With The Victim Conscious
- Victim is calm: the victim is allowed here to give instructions to help them and taking into account the injuries they may have suffered.
- The victim is in a panic: in these cases, communication may be broken and requires relaxation by the person carrying out the lifeguarding. To prevent him from drowning with the injured person, he will carry out an immobilization manoeuvre consisting of standing behind the injured person and putting his arm around his waist.