WARNING: Floating Mats are not life saving devices!!!

Hi all, like many people I take all the great advice, tips and insight given on this board but rarely give back but after our spring break cruise on Liberty of the Seas last week, I feel compelled to write about an event that happened in Labadee.

This was our first cruise as a family of 6. My DH and our 4 children ranging in ages from 9 – 17 were on the 5 day cruise on LOS with stops in Labadee and Ocho Rios.

We stopped in Labadee on the 3rd day of the cruise and had an over the water cabana on Nelly’s Beach rented for the day. While I was in the water lounging on a floating mat I noticed a group of 3 people (2 young ladies and a male in his mid-20’s) on a floating mat, swimming out to the deeper part of the water right before the cordoned off area and you really get in deep, deep water.

One minute they were laughing and within seconds one of the young ladies starts screaming for help. Please note that they are quite a few people around us but at first no one knew if they were playing or if they really needed help, including myself. I looked at them and noticed that she could not swim and was slipping off the floating mat. The guy was telling her to hold on but she was becoming more and more afraid. I asked if they needed help and he said yes, to please help them. I called for help since it was just one of me and 3 of them and a lady right next to them, gave them her floating mat but by this time the young lady that was once screaming for help, was hysterical and had jumped on the guy she was with and he had gone under the water. That’s when I could tell that he couldn’t swim either. The second young lady started screaming for help as well.

Now all 3 are crying out for help and I am making my way out to them while also asking for help. Remember they are others around. I finally made it to them and told them to stand up. YES, they could actually stand and touch bottom (we were on a sand bar but would soon be back in deeper water) but at this point all 3 were beyond hysterical and just wanted out of the water. I asked the young lady who was crying to hold on to the floating mat and ask all 3 of them to kick as we slowly made it back to the dock of our cabana.

I guess that someone finally takes what is happening seriously and the lifeguard shows up and what does he do, he throws them a floating mat. I told him to get his butt (not the word I used) in the water NOW!!

We made it back to my cabana safely and her family walks over – NO THEY CAN’T SWIM EITHER and start fighting with the guy who was out with the two girls on why he took them out to the deep area.

My point to all this is that – If you can’t swim don’t count on the floating mat – This could have ended very badly for these people and their families. If you must be out in the water then make sure to have a very good swimmer with you.

We saw her on board later on and she was quite embarrassed. Her mother said that they would be taking swimming lessons when they got back home. Good idea!

Floating mats most certainly can be lifesaving devices. What they are not is a replacement for the inability to swim.

Folks lose all common sense on vacation...assuming they HAD common sense to begin with! Good job LAP!

Sorry, but I was a lifeguard and a lifeguard instructor in college and getting in the water is the lifeguards last resort. You don't get in the water with a panicking swimmer (or non-swimmer) until every other option has been exhausted. Throwing a mat to them was the appropriate action.

A mat MIGHT be a live saving device in this case.

A lifeguard or other person in the water with a hysterical person can counter any attempt at saving someone.

The issue here was not the mat, but stupid people.

I'm so glad you were there to help them! Well done on getting them safely back to the beach.

I agree with you that folks should no the going into deep water if they can't swim. In Australia almost everyone has swimming lessons as small children and I am genuinely shocked when I discover adults that can't swim, but I feel like it has been increasing in recent years!

I do also agree with some others though that a floating mat definitely is a life saving device (as is literally anything buoyant) - seems like the problem here was the people panicking rather than staying calm and kicking back to shore.

I understand how it could be a life saving device for 1 person but here we had 3 people using it improperly.

Furthermore, all it took was for one of them to panic to send the others into hysterics. Maybe I didn't mention that they were give several floating mats but the situation was too far gone at this point. All they wanted to do was to get out of the water.

On the lifeguard responsibility, I live on Ft. Lauderdale Beach and have seen the lifeguards rescue people in worse situations than this -- these people were screaming for help, the floating mats are not working - I shouldn't have to tell him to get in the water!

I agree. Once panic set in the situation could have turned tragic. Glad it didn't.

I understand how it could be a life saving device for 1 person but here we had 3 people using it improperly.

 

 

Furthermore, all it took was for one of them to panic to send the others into hysterics. Maybe I didn't mention that they were give several floating mats but the situation was too far gone at this point. All they wanted to do was to get out of the water.

 

 

On the lifeguard responsibility, I live on Ft. Lauderdale Beach and have seen the lifeguards rescue people in worse situations than this -- these people were screaming for help, the floating mats are not working - I shouldn't have to tell him to get in the water!

I would really hope too that lifeguards in FL would rescue people in worse situations than what you experienced.

A lot of people are going to comment on this thread with what everyone should or should not of done.

We were not there so would be unfair to judge or make judgement on what was right or wrong.

The main thing is no loss of life, and all 3 are back with their loved ones.

OP, you did what any caring person would do, and Kudos to you.

Happy Days!

FWIW going in the water, knowing you cannot swim without a life preserver is just stupid!!

Sorry, but I was a lifeguard and a lifeguard instructor in college and getting in the water is the lifeguards last resort. You don't get in the water with a panicking swimmer (or non-swimmer) until every other option has been exhausted. Throwing a mat to them was the appropriate action.

I was going to post the same thing. The OP shouldn't be so quick to tell others how to do their job.

It is insane to me that anyone that can't swim would be in anything deeper than waist deep! Any person that has kids should get them swimming lessons at an early age. Just in case of emergency's, at least you could get back to solid ground.

I was going to post the same thing. The OP shouldn't be so quick to tell others how to do their job.[/quote

 

Well, isn't his job to be a LIFE GUARD. Wait, does this mean he guards his own life?

 

When this happens to you, you tell the lifeguard what you want but I am going to tell him to get in the water.

There's lifeguards at Labadee?

There's lifeguards at Labadee?

At barefoot beach there is one, or at least a guy wearing a shirt that says "lifeguard".

I was going to post the same thing. The OP shouldn't be so quick to tell others how to do their job.[/quote

 

Well, isn't his job to be a LIFE GUARD. Wait, does this mean he guards his own life?

 

When this happens to you, you tell the lifeguard what you want but I am going to tell him to get in the water.

Actually, what lifeguards are taught is to effect a rescue in a manner that won't render them becoming a second victim. I can't teach you an entire course on this thread. As for you telling the lifeguard what to do.... yeah, ok, your the boss.... not.

At barefoot beach there is one, or at least a guy wearing a shirt that says "lifeguard".

Who apparently didn't take Miss LAP's course on "everything you need to know to be failure at your job."

Sorry, but I was a lifeguard and a lifeguard instructor in college and getting in the water is the lifeguards last resort. You don't get in the water with a panicking swimmer (or non-swimmer) until every other option has been exhausted. Throwing a mat to them was the appropriate action.

Reach

Throw

Row

Go

So, yes, a lifeguard was correct in throwing them a mat.

However, they were idiots for going out over their heads and counting on a mat. Anyway, who can't swim? I'm really surprised that a whole family has missed out on this life skill.

Order of operations for lifeguards:

 

Reach

Throw

Row

Go

 

So, yes, a lifeguard was correct in throwing them a mat.

 

However, they were idiots for going out over their heads and counting on a mat. Anyway, who can't swim? I'm really surprised that a whole family has missed out on this life skill.

Apparently, the people that the OP wrote about.:rolleyes:

I was also trained as a lifeguard many many lifetimes ago. I agree the guard did the right thing. 15 or so years ago we too were in labadee and a small child was drifting far out and was starting to panic and they had no adult any where in site. I swam out to him and pulled him back in. People need to be smarter and aware. You were very nice to help them you also put yourself at risk. This day and age all should be able to swim. 🌴

I've pulled one or two non-swimmers out of difficult situations myself & also agree the lifeguard did the right thing. That said, Miss L.A.P., I understand your feelings & commend you for assisting the way you did.

I also don't understand how anyone who doesn't at least have the ability to dog paddle their way to shallow water would be foolish enough to put themselves in that situation. But, you can't fix stupid.............

A life jacket should be on if u can't swim,

Anyway, who can't swim? I'm really surprised that a whole family has missed out on this life skill.

I think you'd be surprised how far down the life skill priority chain this has fallen.

I'm not a trained life guard, but a couple of years ago I helped an older gentleman who had fallen out of a kayak in 5 or 6 feet of water near the shore of a lake. I knew that if I got too close, he would tip my kayak and pull me in as well, so I gave him a paddle and got him to calm down and slowly move toward shore. Once he had his feet under him, he was much better, and he got out of the water safely.

The problem in my story and the OP's report was panic. I am able to swim, but got tired out once a ways from shore and began to panic because I thought I was not going to make it, so knowing how to swim may not save you either.

 

Well, isn't his job to be a LIFE GUARD. Wait, does this mean he guards his own life?

 

When this happens to you, you tell the lifeguard what you want but I am going to tell him to get in the water.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I'm saying this to be informative, not argumentative. I was also a lifeguard in college, followed by 22 years in the USCG.

Yes, of course he is there to guard lives, but not at the expense of his own. Getting into the water with a panicked person is the LAST resort, especially if there are 3 panicked persons. Throw in additional people barking orders, and it doesn't help the situation. And while a floating mat is not a USCG approved flotation device, it most certainly can be used as a life saving device for the simple fact that it floats.

It sounds to me like he did the right thing.

There's lifeguards at Labadee?

I'm not sure but I know there are definitely bartenders at Labadee.