A Narrow Drowning Escape
Two Vietnamese ladies narrowly escaped from drowning after their car ended up in Lake Ray Hubbard, Texas. They only have Kevin Rowan, a local police official to thank for saving their lives.
On Saturday, just passed midnight, at about 1am, the ladies were heading for home after an evening out. Unfortunately, they got lost and ended up at Lake Ray Hubbard. The incident happened when the driver was talking to her dad over the phone. Their car ended up driving down a boat ramp and into the lake. One of them even mentioned that she thought she was going to die.
http://www.tuoitrenews.vn/cmlink/tuoitrenews/society/two-vietnamese-women-escape-drowning-in-texas-1.59950
Thankfully, Kevin Rowan was doing his patrol and managed to spot the car’s brake lights above the water. Immediately, he swum out to the vehicle and break the rear window in order to get them out. He recalled them screaming for help and telling him that they can’t swim. Luckily, Kevin managed to get them out from the car, held onto them and swim back safely to shore. If it wasn’t for him, even if they managed to get out of the car, they might not even be able to make it back safely to shore.
The main reason is because they are unable to swim. Can you imagine if Kevin wasn’t there at that point of time? It would have been another case of a tragic drowning. However, if they were able to swim and managed to get out of the car, they might still be able to swim back safely to shore. This explains how useful and crucial it is to have swimming skills. Somehow, Kevin was able to gather enough strength to get both of them back to shore safely in one trip. If he had to make two trips, one of them might not even be still alive.
This also shows that lifesaving skills can be helpful and potentially help to save others. The truth is that it isn’t an easy task to save someone from drowning and getting him/her back to shore safely, let alone save two people. Without the proper knowledge and technique, you might end up endangering their lives instead. Imagine what could have happened if Kevin didn’t have the necessary skills? He could end up in trouble himself as well.
With this, Happy Fish Swim School would like everyone to understand the importance of swimming and lifesaving. Always be prepared by arming yourself with swimming knowledge and skills. You will never know when they can come in handy for yourself or towards others.
Read MoreNew Zealand’s Drowning Toll in 2011
The Bay of Plenty, which is located in New Zealand, has given rise to numerous drowning incidents. Just last year alone, twelve people drowned there. This is only a percentage of the total number of drownings which took place in the waters of New Zealand. In all, 123 people drowned in New Zealand last year. This figure was up 41 per cent compared to 2010. It was also the highest and worst drowning toll in eight years since 2003.
http://www.friars.co.nz/accommodation.php?region=BayOfPlenty
As we all know, drowning can occurred for various reasons and without any warning. Eight of the drownings in the Bay of Plenty occurred during water activities such as power boating, rowing, free diving, boogie boarding or swimming. As for the remaining four incidents, they happened due to either accidental immersions or motor vehicle accidents.
Compared to a record low in 2010, the increase in 2011 of such magnitude was extremely disappointing according to the WSNZ chief executive. Last year alone, there were 66 drownings due to water activities, 24 occupational drownings and 30 due to other causes such as suicides, homicide and vehicle crashes. Of all these drownings, 80 per cent of them were men. There were also 14 cases of drowning for children under the age of five as well.
There’s always a saying that goes, prevention is better than cure. To prevent drownings from occurring, always remember the safety basics. These includes wearing life jackets, checking the weather forecast, staying within your limits, not swimming alone and avoiding alcohol.
For this year, it hasn’t really started on a good note for New Zealand. Up till today, there are already 15 drowning cases. Out of these 15 cases, a number of the them were swept out to sea. They range from 15 to 44 years old. This goes to show that drowning can happen to anyone. Even if you’re a good swimmer, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be able to escape from drowning as it can occur when you least expect it to.
http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/news/2011-worst-drowning-toll-in-eight-years/1253369/
If you want to learn more about advance swimming programs, check out what Happy Fish Swim School has to offer. However, do take note that you should already know the basics of swimming and complete the beginner course at least. The advance swimming programs can provide you with more knowledge and skills in swimming. You could potentially save your own life or someone else’s life with these set of knowledge and skills.
Read MoreDon’t Let Disability Restrict You
Previously, we’ve talked about how Bo Tanner inspired so many individuals to swim. Today, we’re going to talk about a 14 year old named Brendan Driscoll. What’s so inspiring about him? Well, he made the Manchester-Essex High swim team even though he does not have a leg below his left knee.
http://www.boston.com
For Brendan, he was born with a congenital condition in which the tibia and fibula of his left leg did not develop. This led to a knee disarticulation on the leg to preserve the growth plate and ensure that his left thigh would develop normally when he was only 5 years old. Now Brendan is 14 and he doesn’t consider his condition to be “handicap”. He stated that since he has been living with it for his whole life, he doesn’t feel that his condition is that big of a deal.
When Brendan was younger, he would always complained about not being able to do sports and run. Once he found the motivation and pushed himself, he eventually managed to set records for track events such as the 100-, 200-, and 400-yard races. When there was an upcoming triathlon event, Brendan knew he would have to get into the pool. He persevered and eventually managed to set records in meets for disabled athletes last year.
Although Brendan isn’t as fast as some of the other competitors without any disability, he doesn’t gets pessimistic. Instead, he works on making improvements and envisions himself surpassing them one day or another. With an attitude like that even with a disability, Brendan has earned the respect of his fellow swim mates, coach and even the spectators. “My long-term goal is to go to the Paralympics, and to do an IronMan Triathlon,’’ he said. “With enough practice, anything’s possible.’’
This short article explains to us that anything is possible if you believe in yourself. If Brendan who has a disability is able to make it all the way to the swim team, then anyone with or without a disability has the potential of learning to swim! If you wish to learn more about swimming, check out Happy Fish Swim School and take a look at the various lessons that they conduct.
Read MoreDrowning in San Antonio
Before starting on the topic for today, on behalf of Happy Fish Swim School, I would like to wish all readers a Happy Lunar New Year! Hopefully the year of the dragon will usher in more prosperity and happiness for you. As we continue to celebrate Chinese New Year, always be reminded of how easily drowning can take place. Hence, if you do decide to go for a swim this festive season, ensure that you take all necessary precautions to prevent drowning from occurring.
It was an unfortunate and tragic Friday for 64 year old, Earl Scofield, who drowned at a Blossom Athletic Center swimming pool. According to reports, his wife, Annetta Scofield claims that Earl was a strong swimmer and they would swim together two to three times a week.
The incident occurred on Friday when Annetta noticed her husband at the bottom of the pool. She called for help and three lifeguards came to her aid. They pulled Earl out and conducted CPR, but it was already too late. Earl did not manage to survive. There were many comments from the public questioning the lifeguards. There were three of them, but none realised the drowning? Were they sleeping on their job?
The truth is that we can’t judge such things. Drowning can occurred in just seconds. As mentioned in previous posts, drowning is a silent killer. Contrary to popular belief, you won’t see a drowning individual yelling for help or waving their hands frantically. Furthermore, there are many swimmers who stay underwater to improve on their breathing techniques. Although there were three of them in total, they are usually divided into different sections around the area. Hence, we can’t really fault the lifeguards for not doing their job.
This article highlights how quickly and silently drowning can occur. One should never underestimate how easily drowning can take place, even in a public swimming complex. In fact, it doesn’t even give you much time to think or react. Therefore, always be aware of your own limits and do not push yourself so far to the extend of drowning. If you’re unable to stay underwater for long periods, don’t push yourself. Give yourself time to practice and train, and you’ll be able to reach your goal in a matter of time. It’s definitely not worth risking your life.
If you’re looking for swimming lessons, do take a look at what Happy Fish Swim School has to offer. We have various types of lessons suitable for all ages and levels. You can even customise your own lessons if you choose to take up private classes. With so many kinds of lessons available, we’re pretty sure that you’ll find one suitable for your own needs!
Read MoreShark Attack!
http://www.heraldsun.com.au
We are all aware of what sharks are capable of. They crave for meat and aren’t afraid to go up against us, humans. It doesn’t even matter if the waters are shallow, like in Second Beach in the rural Eastern Cape. In fact, it is one of the deadliest spots for shark attacks despite it being just waist-deep.
On Sunday, an unfortunate and tragic event occurred. Lungisani Msungubana, a 25 year old from the Transkei region was attacked by a whaler shark. The sad thing was that he was minding his own business and bathing among a crowd of swimmers when the attack took place. It was an extremely bloody and messy scene according to witnesses. He suffered multiple bites from the shark on his torso, arms and legs. The doctor on the beach tried his best to treat him before paramedics took him to the clinic for further treatment. Unfortunately, Lungisani Msungubana didn’t manage to pull through and was pronounced dead.
This beautiful and scenic beach located in the town of Port St Johns is considered to be one of the deadliest spots for shark attacks. In the past 6 years, the beach had encountered 6 such incidents, 3 of which occurred in 2009 alone.
As breathtaking as it can possibly be, always avoid putting yourself in harm’s way. We would like to highlight this and bring it up for awareness, so that Singaporeans can avoid such incidents from occurring to them. Since you’re now aware of how dangerous this beach can be, perhaps you can consider visiting other beaches around the world instead? I’m sure you will be able to find better beaches elsewhere right? *hints* Maldives *hints* Remember, always do careful research of your destination before heading for a swim as you’ll never know what’s in store for you. It’s way better to be safe rather than sorry.
If you do intend to swim in the open waters, it would be ideal to arm yourself with the necessary knowledge and skills. This can be attain from Happy Fish Swim School’s Open Water SwimSafer Course. This is basically an advance course that is being conducted in East Coast Park. It teaches you proper swimming techniques and survival skills in the open waters. Hence, if you wish to better prepare yourself, we suggest that you register for this course!
Read MoreTwo Singaporeans Drown in Indonesia
For those of you who haven’t read about the drowning case in Bintan, this incident happened over the weekends. However, this acts as a reminder for everyone who wishes to swim in the open waters. Always remember that the open waters are unpredictable and are definitely not like those in our public swimming complexes.
This is indeed a tragic accident and lost to the families of the two men. The incident occurred when three men were swimming off Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Saturday. They were met with high waves and were dragged out to sea. One of them managed to swim back to shore to rally help from the locals. Unfortunately, they couldn’t make it in time to find the other two men. Their bodies were only discovered the next day. The three men were followers of the moderate Tabligh movement, whose missionaries travel around the globe to preach Islam. According to the police, they have been there for 40 days.
This goes to show that one should never underestimate the waves in open waters. Even if you are confident in your own abilities to swim out in the open waters, always remember that there is a stronger force that you won’t be able to control. Hence, it is always recommended never to venture too far out. Ideally, try to remain near the shore, where you can actually stand up and still have your chest above the water. If you feel yourself drifting further away, at least you will still be able to stand up and walk back to shore. However, if you’re too far out, you might not even be able to shout for help.
Many people love the outdoors and nature as it is, but one should never risk his or her life. The water may seem still and calm on the surface, but you’ll never know what lies beneath. Furthermore, drowning is a silent killer and can take place in just a few seconds. Therefore, you should NEVER take your chances.
If you wish to equip yourself with knowledge and skills of the open waters, check what Happy Fish Swim School has to offer. We have a special advance program that follows the SwimSafer syllabus to learn more about the open waters. This program takes place at East Coast Park and not any public swimming complex.
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