If you have an emergency, do not panic.

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What do I do if I need rescuing?

If you have an emergency, do not panic.

Should it happen that you do become in need of rescue while swimming in the ocean, remember not to panic. When the lifeguard reaches you, refrain from clutching and grabbing at him or his rescue craft. This will only interfere with the lifeguard's efforts and may put both your lives at risk. Lifeguards are trained in sea rescue, so relax and follow the lifeguard's expert instructions.

   

Comments

6/29/2006 1:48:45 AM
Catzy Karatina said:

Not all beaches have life guards and don't signal unless you really need it, like you could drown. If you can get out on your own, and lifeguard has been busy, don't call him, you may distract him from helping someone else in a more serious condition. So, here's my advice to help you help yourself with waves, I hope it helps. Waves are my biggest problem because I'm stupid and try to catch them during high tide. If you can swim, there are two waves to worry about, if not, don't go out this far. The first is the more dangerous, these are the ones that come up and curve over, or crest I believe is the actual term. The second one looks scary, but it's less dangerous. It doesn't curve, it forms a bit of a point, and looks like an upside-down V. The reason it's scary is that it's ussually big, but don't fret, you can swim in these waves. The first will catch you when they curve over and keep you in the curve, or undertow. After you've been hit with one of these, chances are, you'll have water in your lungs, and tire out fast. You need to get out of the water, and drink fresh water, and eat something small. Unfortunately, if you've been hit by one, there's more, so you need to learn how to use both waves to get you back to shore. Use the second kind to swim towards shore, and when the first kind is coming, stand up with your back to it and hold you breath. Try not to let it hit you until it curves over. These are more powerful and since the undertow is already past, you won't be caught again. Use the two waves to get back to shore, but remember, most waves, don't move straight to shore, they push you further along the beach, so once you're on the sand, walk back to where your stuff was. The walk will be good for you stomach to settle and make sure to get freshwater eat something bread or cracker-like, like chips or something and don't return to the water for a while, rest.




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