Mario Vittone - Latest Comments in Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Karen — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:10:33 -0000

I came very close to drowning once as a child in swimming class. The instructor or anyone else never noticed. I still don't know how I finally was able to get to the side of the pool. I really thought I was dying and it was just as described here.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

DJ429 — Sun, 13 May 2012 14:33:47 -0000

This is a great article. Our local Safe Kids coalition has shared it as have I on my police department's Facebook and Twitter feeds. Thank you.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Ayoubmbugua — Sat, 12 May 2012 03:04:35 -0000

great work! I relate perfectly as I tripped at a sea shore once and almost drowned!

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Sobreea — Sat, 12 May 2012 02:32:18 -0000

Paul--you are so right! So he's in a suit... how many other kids does he have? My friend has 2 kids. One of which is 'if he's hurt, he's crying, if he's happy, he's quiet, if he loves you, he hugs and doesn't let go'. The other is one of those 'tie a harness to her, turn around to feed the other kid, and turn back around and she's out the (locked!) back door and talking to the neighbor'.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Flipu4reel — Sat, 12 May 2012 01:06:15 -0000

Both parties were wrong. Parents should never leave a baby unattended in a pool, and the lifeguards should have been paying closer attention.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

greg — Sat, 12 May 2012 00:34:50 -0000

I recently moved to Hawaii, and will be doing a lot of swimming, and will be learning how to surf. This information will be very useful. I will tell all my friends that we need to look out for each other, and to interpret these unexpected tell-tale signs as possible trouble. Thanks for writing and sharing this article.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

northierthanthou — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:35:33 -0000

Good to know.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Ati God — Fri, 11 May 2012 01:04:56 -0000

Higher Deity......are u for real??? Learn to be upstanding in your own beliefs and don't rely on what you have been told since you were born. If you come from India what 'God'' would you believe in??? China? Iran?? God is what you are told he is in your society not what you find out for yourself. It was ''Gods'' will to drown babys!!! Go
to love that God

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Paul — Fri, 11 May 2012 00:31:28 -0000

Wank*r Do you have kids??? If you do then u will know that it is impossible to have eyes everywhere all the time. Ever had some one look after ur kid when u were unable to??..............Gone for a pi*ss looking after ur other kid?? Don't speak without knowledge of what u r talking about u dumb a** hole.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Queenbjan — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:50:47 -0000

Wow! I was a lifeguard one summer in a camp when twice another counselor rescued someone in trouble. I learned a lot about how to bring them in, but this information was not part of what I learned. It gives me chills every time I think of what could have happened that summer.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Jake G — Thu, 10 May 2012 00:01:57 -0000

Mario, thanks for sharing this. People need to know this. I would like to think that the knowledge you have given is saving lives. This is awesome. Way to go using the internet for something of true value!!

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Toh Wei Xun — Wed, 09 May 2012 22:22:09 -0000

you've died once?

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

jujuGODSERVANT — Tue, 08 May 2012 23:49:08 -0000

About time someone shared Real info. had never knowen this

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Jesse Fortier — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:09:42 -0000

And there's a reason pools require parents to be with their children at all times. Two lifeguards to how many hundreds of people swarming around? Lifeguards are there for their emergency training if it is needed, but a parent should still never be willing to risk their child's life in the hands of a person who is responsible for so many others just because they're too lazy to pay attention.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Jesse Fortier — Tue, 08 May 2012 20:06:28 -0000

A public pool is not a day care and those lifeguards are there for emergencies. Lifeguards are provided because not all parents or bystanders will have emergency training if an emergency occurs - but they are not there to do the parenting and supervision for you. Almost every public pool specifically has rules posted that small children, particularly infants, MUST be accompanied by an adult at all times. This is exactly why.

If you pay a nurse to take care of you, but refuse to stay off your broken leg, do you really think you'll have a case when you say you aren't getting better? Get real. People need to accept their responsibilities.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

victorianrobot — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:13:35 -0000

When I was 7 or 8, I was playing in the pool at home and my dad was leisurely watching me on the little deck. He was reading the newspaper and would look over at me every so often. I was playing with an innertube. I liked to flip the tube up and down while I held onto it, but I made the mistake of getting my face in the middle of it and moving it wrong, which resulted in me flipping the tube over with my face pinned in the water and my arms unable to flip the tube back right side up (as my arms were now under the tube, under the water) I could not move. The water was making it impossible to flip the tube back with the way my arms were pinned, and my face was entirely submerged.

There was this defining moment of "I'm going to drown right now if I panic. I can't move this tube and my face is stuck underwater. If I panic, my arms will get too tired and I will drown." So I had this flash of ideas as to what to do, because at this point my dad's face was behind the paper again and I knew I couldn't count on him. I remember deciding on the idea of seeing if I could put all my weight on one side of the tube in an effort to force the other side to pop out of the water. (and thus freeing my face to breathe again) I took my chance, and kind of pulled my body and weight in one direction and hoped for the best. It worked.

As soon as that tube flipped over again, I ducked out of it and shoved it away from my body and went to the side of the pool to breathe. I was so shaken up, but also could not believe my luck. To this day, reading all the experiences in this post and reflecting on my own, I can't believe how easily I could have drowned that day. I am so lucky to be typing this right now. I'm posting this experience with the hope it might help someone in some way who might see a kid struggling and very nearly drowning the way I was.

I wasn't struggling in a way you might consider struggling, but my face was trapped underwater, and I was in a flotation device with my arms pinned. My advice: even if a kid has something inflated to hold onto/play with, keep a close watch. Make sure that safety device doesn't end up backfiring.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Mogftw73 — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:18:18 -0000

You should probably stay out of the water o_o

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Elvishbutterfly — Tue, 08 May 2012 13:07:14 -0000

This article is definitely worth sharing. I've died from drowning once when I was seven, and almost did twice in my teens. One time, I got a leg cramp and went under the water, less than ten feet from my swimming friends. They didn't notice. Luckily, I had a good friend who was hanging out on the shore who was watching us swim, and he noticed me stop moving. I'll never know how he saw me, since the shore was at least half a football field away from us. He dove in and got to me right when I slipped under for the last time, and dragged me back to shore. I threw up lake water for a while, but I was okay. It's so important for people to know what to really look for.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Ginette — Sun, 06 May 2012 11:32:09 -0000

As one who almost drowned at the Jersey Shore the summer of 1972— I was 17— I can attest that there is very little noise… little time or ability to shout out for help… you're just trying to breathe.

I was a strong swimmer, with lifeguard training…
But I got caught up in a swift undertow, and became too exhausted to continue swimming parallel to shore.
I don't remember much after realizing I was in trouble, except for the strong arms that worked their way up my body and grappled me from behind in a firm tow-grip, speaking calmly into my ear, pulling me to shore.
It was an awful event.
And even now… nearly 40 years later, I still remember the desperation I began to feel when reality struck that I wasn't going to stay aloft much longer.
That day, I developed a healthy respect for the water, and its hidden risks, and a true appreciation for the ever vigilant Lifeguards that watch over our beaches and pools.

Yes… The warning flags went up after I was pulled in… In fact, I learned the Lifeguards were apparently in the process of marking the beaches while I was being rescued.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

kells — Wed, 02 May 2012 06:45:20 -0000

No, obviouslyman is just stating...well...the OBVIOUS! Again, childcare workers are paid to be attentive to specifically a few children...and this does NOT include such a thing as a water hazard!

Lifeguards are responsible for MANY children at one time. As a responsible parent of a 5-year-old and a 9 year-old, I would NEVER just drop them off and assume that the lifeguards have them covered! I am more comfortable with the older child, but you can be sure that I'll be by my 5-year-old's side (or observing) the WHOLE time he's in the water this summer! Even though he is a strong swimmer, he is still only FIVE! Another kid could knock him over, and he might panic!

Responsible parenting goes a long way...

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Dlivtx — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:22:47 -0000

If your kid can't swim, you should be watching them at all times while they are in the pool. Period. There are no excuses for that. Lifeguards are not babysitters which is why you aren't allowed to just drop your kids off at the pool and leave. As a parent, I like the security of having lifeguards around to help my child but I will never put my child's life into their hands. I will be watching my child the entire time until he is a good swimmer.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

angelspider — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 09:08:03 -0000

I am a swimming teacher and I'm afraid I agree with obviouslyman. You never put a child that cannot swim properly without swimming aids into a pool and leave them in it alone. A child can drown even with armbands on!!

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

Frith Barbat — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 17:52:30 -0000

I shared this story a year ago and a friend just looped it back to me. I'm glad it's still going around - now with the video that is so informative. Thank you from the folks who will never know you saved their lives!

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

guest — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:33:46 -0000

I am a mother. Meaning a woman with a child. And I agree with obviouslyman on this one. It is completely irresponsible parenting to take a child anywhere besides a daycare or a babysitter and expect someone else to be in charge of them. Those jobs are specifically to act as a caregiver in the event that the parent is not around. The same does not apply for lifeguards. They are there to assist when needed but not to watch over everyone's children. There are still rules that children under a certain age should be under adult supervision at all times. A parent walking away from a baby floating in water - with lifeguards present or not - is nothing more than a bad parent. And anyone saying otherwise either does not understand what it means to be a parent or is under some guise that the rest of the world should be responsible for their offspring.

Re: Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

peeved — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:52:03 -0000

"Baby sister" and "baby in a pool" are not the same words. She may have been the normal age for a wading pool. You seem to be picturing a three-month old left floating on a raft to fend for themselves on the Amazon rather than a young child in an age appropriate play area with paid professionals there to protect her.
My "baby brother" (who was six at the time) went into a hotel pool with me and my Mom. He had not previously swum, but was doing very well - he made it from the shallow end all the way to the center of the deep end. We were standing nearby, out of the pool. Then he wasn't doing well. My mother jumped in that pool faster than I have ever seen her move before or since. But that was a pool without a lifeguard so, of course we were keeping an eye on him. It was still one of the most terrifying moments of my life. Up there with being driven off the road in a snow storm.
Please learn to read using all of the words on the page instead of your own made-up words.