[Vanderbijlpark 25 November 2011 15:00]
On a hot Friday afternoon, the public swimming pools are bound to be full of people trying to cool down and wind down for the weekend, but at the pool in Vanderbijlpark, an 18 year old boy almost lost his life.
The reason behind the near drowning incident at the public swimming pool is not yet known, but life guards were alerted to a body at the bottom of the pool by other swimmers. They quickly took action, rescuing the young man from the bottom of the pool and when they pulled him to the surface and assessed him, they found that he had no pulse. They immediately began CPR while ER24 was called to the scene.
Paramedics arrive to find that the resuscitation efforts of the life guards had managed to get the man’s heart beating again, and although he was still in a critical condition, he was alive. The Advanced Life Support paramedic placed the man on life saving equipment and his vital functions were taken over.
The young man was taken to Sebokeng Hospital for further care where he remains in a critical condition.
Swimming will be a daily activity for most South Africans during the upcoming months of Summer Holidays; it is essential that those of you who know how to swim still consider the dangers of water, and for those of you who do not know how to swim, don’t take any unnecessary risks, and adults, please ensure that you provide adequate supervision to your children when they are in the water.
Drownings are sadly an all too frequent occurrence. It is your duty to make sure that you know the dangers involved, and to take the necessary precautions.
Vanessa Jackson, ER24
