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

[stlouistravelers]

I understand what we feel is the proper response when in the US. The lifeguard is in another country abiding by the rules and regulations given by his authority (who ever they are). I was in Jamiaca and watched another person die because of the way their emergency medical system was structured. There was an American Nurse present and attempting to help but she was not able to bring her full knowledge and skills to this persons aid because of the structure. In the US this person would have easily survived given the skills she had.

[TheMastodon]

Hmm, doesn't know how to swim, but gets in the ocean. Wonder what other great decisions this individual has made in their life? Maybe next time they will go base jumping with out any prior experience.

[chengkp75]

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.

 

Once again, I gotta hand it to you. Heck, even a trash bag whirled around to fill it with air and tied off can be a lifesaving device. The thing that amazes me, is the total lack of understanding the general public has about the various "types" (I,II,III) of lifejackets and when they are recommended.

 

This reminds me of the debates about the Triumph fire, when everyone said that "ships are required to give assistance", without the following caveat that the Master of the assisting vessel does not have to place his vessel and crew in unnecessary risk. Two victims is exponentially worse than one.

[ummgood]

I guess my question would be where was the lifeguard before the lady got all the way out to them? You would think they would have been assisting in whatever way was appropriate before she was able to get all the way from her cabana out to the people. It seemed like she waited for awhile while they were yelling for help to make sure they needed help. I would think the lifeguard would have thrown them something before she managed to get out there. I wasn't there though so who knows what happened.

[Paulxyz2004]

I guess my question would be where was the lifeguard before the lady got all the way out to them? You would think they would have been assisting in whatever way was appropriate before she was able to get all the way from her cabana out to the people. It seemed like she waited for awhile while they were yelling for help to make sure they needed help. I would think the lifeguard would have thrown them something before she managed to get out there. I wasn't there though so who knows what happened.

 

She was not in her cabana but in the water lounging on her Floating mat.

[reallyitsmema]

I guess my question would be where was the lifeguard before the lady got all the way out to them? You would think they would have been assisting in whatever way was appropriate before she was able to get all the way from her cabana out to the people. It seemed like she waited for awhile while they were yelling for help to make sure they needed help. I would think the lifeguard would have thrown them something before she managed to get out there. I wasn't there though so who knows what happened.

 

If you go back and read the OP, the poster was in the water on a floating mat. She also says the people could stand up, having them stand up and calm down would have been a better idea than to try to tow 3 hysterical people into shore.

 

None of us know what the lifeguard actually did. We don't know if he had radioed for additional help. We don't know if additional lifeguards were on there way. There are lifeguards out on jetskis that could have been coming to aid from the waterside.

 

It is great that the OP wanted to help out these people but you need to listen to the lifeguard, not tell them their job.

[ummgood]

If you go back and read the OP, the poster was in the water on a floating mat. She also says the people could stand up, having them stand up and calm down would have been a better idea than to try to tow 3 hysterical people into shore.

 

 

 

None of us know what the lifeguard actually did. We don't know if he had radioed for additional help. We don't know if additional lifeguards were on there way. There are lifeguards out on jetskis that could have been coming to aid from the waterside.

 

 

 

It is great that the OP wanted to help out these people but you need to listen to the lifeguard, not tell them their job.

 

 

Ok thanks! I did read it but missed that point.

[garycarla]

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

 

Apparently you missed the part where these people were STUPID.

 

You can not fix stupid. Many have tried. Many will fail.

[BecciBoo]

I'm really surprised that a whole family has missed out on this life skill.

 

And the key: decided to spend the day at the beach and in the ocean~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek:

[critterchick]

Many people don't knonw how to swim. In college (Primceton) you had to be able to swim to graduate and tested us freshman week. I had classmates from New York City who had never seen a swimming pool, from landlocked stares who had never been to a lake, etc. It wasn't pretty, but they took lessons and learned at least a basic respect for the water. One skipped the test and four years later was notified that he wasn't going to graduate unless he took it.

 

OP, kudos to you for helping out, but anything that floats is a proper lifesaving device. And I imagine that your adrenaline was really going, so barking at the lifeguard is understandable, but I agree with the others that he did the right thing - that's what we were taught in lifesaving classes.

[critterchick]

Many people don't knonw how to swim. In college (Primceton) you had to be able to swim to graduate and tested us freshman week. I had classmates from New York City who had never seen a swimming pool, from landlocked stares who had never been to a lake, etc. It wasn't pretty, but they took lessons and learned at least a basic respect for the water. One skipped the test and four years later was notified that he wasn't going to graduate unless he took it.

 

OP, kudos to you for helping out, but anything that floats is a proper lifesaving device. And I imagine that your adrenaline was really going, so barking at the lifeguard is understandable, but I agree with the others that he did the right thing - that's what we were taught in lifesaving classes.

 

LOL, can't even spell my own alma mater.:o

[OCruisers]

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.

 

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.

 

Excellent reply! So agree with you

 

LuLu

[chengkp75]

LOL, can't even spell my own alma mater.:o

 

No, just your fingers can't spell.

[DirtyDawg]

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.

 

I'm not a lifeguard but all three of our boy's are. (We've always had a pool so not only did the boys have to learn how to swim but becoming a lifeguard was a non-negotiable must do in our house.) Sounds like the lifeguard here did the proper thing, according to my guys and the rest of the pro's on the thread.

 

As for what to use - use anything that floats!

 

OP, you did a wonderful thing. Those young people are indebted to you. Bravo!

Edited March 29, 2015 by DirtyDawg

[davy jones]

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.

 

Correct! While a mat is not technically a "lifesaving device", it can calm the situation. Be aware that the greatest danger to water rescue is often panic.

 

I am surprised that the lifeguard did not have a proper device.

[chengkp75]

Correct! While a mat is not technically a "lifesaving device", it can calm the situation. Be aware that the greatest danger to water rescue is often panic.

 

I am surprised that the lifeguard did not have a proper device.

 

Just remember, this is in Haiti, so the American Red Cross, and the American Lifeguard Association don't come into play, and we have no idea what the local laws are for a lifeguards equipment, certification, or training.

[reallyitsmema]

Correct! While a mat is not technically a "lifesaving device", it can calm the situation. Be aware that the greatest danger to water rescue is often panic.

 

I am surprised that the lifeguard did not have a proper device.

 

We don't know that he didn't have the proper device, we only know that he threw a mat towards the group.

 

Every lifeguard I have ever seen working at Labadee or at Coco Cay, have either a lifesaving belt type device on a string or a "can" that could be thrown to a person. The lifeguard in this case had three people panicking. Maybe he was trying to get one person on each mat and was going to get the third person himself. We don't know what his intention was so anything else is just speculation.

[MM4M]

This happened when we were in Labadee 1.5 years ago. A young couple had a cabana at the end of the beach next to us and they had floating mats. The very small young woman went out and apparently fell asleep on her floating mat. She suddenly woke up abruptly (like many of us do when we are nodding off) and panicked because she floated pretty far out, she fell off her mat and it floated away. There is always lots of commotion on the beach, so I am not sure how long she was out in the water screaming before many people were running out in the water to get her (including her husband who appeared to be napping in the cabana next to us)

 

The people got her back to shore and they needed to do mouth to mouth on her. The medic even brought over those paddles they use for people when their heart stop. He didn't need to use them as she started coughing and they rolled her to her side.

 

She was on the beach being worked on for while, and ended up being ok because she was brought to the ship on a stretcher, but she was awake and talking to her husband. I spoke with the a medic after it was all over and he was done taking reports from the men involved, and he said that the woman's husband told them she didn't know how to swim and she wanted to go out on the water in a floating mat and relax...well she relaxed so much she fell asleep.

 

My son was nine at the time and almost every time we go to a beach he brings this up. It was very scary.

 

I cannot imaging letting my guard down like that: not knowing how to swim, but throwing that fact aside so I could go relax on the water in a flimsy beach mat.

Edited March 30, 2015 by MM4M

[Dorset Cruiser]

Lifeguards on UK beaches are proactive as well as reactive and patrol the beaches. If they see someone acting in a way that could put them in danger, such as going out into deep water on lilos (floating mattresses), they will call them back. If they ignore the lifeguards or actually get into a dangerous situation, they will go out on a surfboard or motorised craft and bring them back to shore.

 

 

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[Ocean Boy]

Lifeguards on UK beaches are proactive as well as reactive and patrol the beaches. If they see someone acting in a way that could put them in danger, such as going out into deep water on lilos (floating mattresses), they will call them back. If they ignore the lifeguards or actually get into a dangerous situation, they will go out on a surfboard or motorised craft and bring them back to shore.

 

 

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That doesn't happen only on UK beaches.

[Dorset Cruiser]

That doesn't happen only on UK beaches.

 

I never said it did. Obviously did not happen on OP's beach or they would not have got as far out on the 'lilo'

 

 

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[Aquahound]

I never said it did. Obviously did not happen on OP's beach or they would not have got as far out on the 'lilo'

 

Why would they? The beach is roped off. As long as they are inside the ropes, why would the lifeguard say anything? :confused:

[KansasK]

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.

 

Miss L.A.P, I would have also told the lifeguard to get in the water since you had 3 hysterical people to deal with who could not swim. The lifeguard could have helped them use the mat he threw.

 

Ignore the judgmental comments of two people who were not there.

[Big_G]

 

Miss L.A.P, I would have also told the lifeguard to get in the water since you had 3 hysterical people to deal with who could not swim. The lifeguard could have helped them use the mat he threw.

 

Ignore the judgmental comments of two people who were not there.

 

There's a difference between judgmental comments and comments based on training an experience. The latter appears to apply here.

[DirtyDawg]

 

Miss L.A.P, I would have also told the lifeguard to get in the water since you had 3 hysterical people to deal with who could not swim. The lifeguard could have helped them use the mat he threw.

 

Ignore the judgmental comments of two people who were not there.

 

And the lifeguard would be professionally correct in ignoring you. Feel free to jump in yourself and risk your own life. Please don't ask another to ignore their training and risk their own life.