Swimming and CPR (or cardiopulmonary resuscitation) are two skills that can not only save your own life, but also the lives of others.
For open water swimmers who are involved in open water events or channel crossings or helping on an escort boat during a marathon swim or a relay or serving as a second in an ice swimming event, knowing and being able to use Hands-Only CPR is an essential tool. Swimmers may be called upon to do Hands-Only CPR on a shoreline, on the deck of a boat, or in any number of unexpected locations at any number of unforeseen times.
National CPR and AED Awareness Week
June 1st – 7th is National CPR and AED Awareness Week in the United States.
Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death throughout the world and according to the data compiled by the open water swimming community between 2000 and 2009, also the leading cause of death of swimmers during or immediately after an open water swim.
The American Heart Association reports that currently, 90% of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital die, in part because they do not receive CPR more than half of the time. CPR, especially if performed immediately, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival – a fact that Steven Munatones knows all too well when his 17-year-old son Skyler continued to do Hands-Only CPR on his fallen father one unexpected morning 8 years ago.
Skyler kept on doing CPR until the paramedics came in an ambulance. His quick action and never letting up even though the end result would not be known for over a week allowed his father to not only survive the heart attack, but also thrive afterwards. This was the udespite an ominous warning by the attending cardiologist who predicted, “He may face severe neurological damage as a result of this trauma.”
Transformation to Lifesavers
The American Heart Association has a goal of doubling survival from cardiac arrest by 2030. By applying CPR and defibrillation, the the Nation of Lifesavers initiative can transform reluctant bystanders into active lifesavers, so when a cardiac emergency occurs, anyone anywhere is can become a hero and be that essential link in the chain of survival.
However, there are always concerns about legal liability and the inability to properly do CPR. In fact, 70% of adults in the United States said they were not confident that they could respond with CPR in a cardiac emergency. But CPR is a lifesaving skill that most people can learn and perform correctly, even under the most trying situations.
Lending A Hand
Sadly, 90% of people who experience cardiac arrest outside of a hospital end up dying, in part because they do not receive CPR more than 50% of the time. But when CPR is performed, especially when performed immediately, this heroic act can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
The American Heart Association reports, “This National CPR and AED Awareness Week spotlights how lives can be saved if more people living in the U.S. know the lifesaving skill of CPR and how to use an AED. Did you know about 70% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in homes? If you are called on to give CPR in an emergency, you most likely will be trying to save the life of someone you love. Be the difference for your parent, spouse or child.”
Swimming Pod Safety
Susie Nolan Loiselle recommends, “Swimmers can also do other things to swim safe and save lives in the event one of us has a swim emergency in our swim pod. Sharing emergency contact information with each other, swim with a cell phone in a dry bag in your tow float, swimming with a Road ID on your wrist or watch, and knowing where an AED is located nearest your swim area, and being trained for CPR/AED, etc. is crucial. A swim buddy had a cardiac arrest incident in our swim pod, we managed to save a life. We were lucky.”
For more information, visit www.heart.org/cprweek.
© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
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