Mad Doug Biker
Just a damaged guy.
- Location
- Craggy Island
Drowning doesn't look like drowning.
- Thread starter Globalti
- Start date
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on the road
Über Member
That article brings back bad memories for me, at aged 10 (about 36 years ago) I was sitting at the baths and sitting on the side when someone walking past deliberately pushed me in and even though I was close to the side, I had my back to it so obviously panicked, I nearly drowned and no one came to my aid, I had to fend for myself.
I was terrified of water after that, even though I'm better now with water but I've never learned to swim since, I have tried a few times since but it's never worked out. I've not been near a baths since the mid 80's which was the last time I tried to learn and I doubt I'll ever learn now.
I was terrified of water after that, even though I'm better now with water but I've never learned to swim since, I have tried a few times since but it's never worked out. I've not been near a baths since the mid 80's which was the last time I tried to learn and I doubt I'll ever learn now.
Mad Doug Biker
Just a damaged guy.
- Location
- Craggy Island
Sorry to hear that, I have to wonder what would have happened to me if that guy hadn't rescued me.
Our first dog, Bruno didn't like to be in water and we never saw him swimming until one day, he was on a small jetty and went to step onto what he obviously thought was rather soggy land. It wasn't, it was seaweed and he went in with a yelp and a rather large splash.
Boy, he certainly learned how to swim THAT day, and once he discovered this, loved swimming after that (He was a rescue, so we don't know much about what happened to him in his past).
This fact is far from helpful, but I can see how a complex could arise from it all had Bruno been a human and had been allowed to think about it all too much.
Our first dog, Bruno didn't like to be in water and we never saw him swimming until one day, he was on a small jetty and went to step onto what he obviously thought was rather soggy land. It wasn't, it was seaweed and he went in with a yelp and a rather large splash.
Boy, he certainly learned how to swim THAT day, and once he discovered this, loved swimming after that (He was a rescue, so we don't know much about what happened to him in his past).
This fact is far from helpful, but I can see how a complex could arise from it all had Bruno been a human and had been allowed to think about it all too much.
slowmotion
Quite dreadful
- Location
- lost somewhere
on the road, I'm sure that there are people who could help you get over that fear. Swimming is a really wonderful activity, not in swimming pools, but in rivers and the sea. You really must find a way to get back into the water. You will be doing yourself a huge favour. Give it a go.
Mad Doug Biker
Just a damaged guy.
- Location
- Craggy Island
If Bruno can, you can too, and he never had any lessons either!
PBancroft
Senior Member
- Location
- Winchester
I nearly drowned in our neighbours swimming pool (that makes me sound posh...).
I was about three, and went on a bit of a ramble outside by myself. I managed to somehow get over/under the fence into next door's garden and walked across the pool cover which wasn't secured tightly and started to sink. Somehow my dad found me. He can't swim, but pulled on the cover reached out and grabbed me and pulled me to the side. I get chills thinking that I could easily have quietly died that day, wrapped in plastic at the bottom of that pool if my dad hadn't had the foresight to wonder where I'd gone and look over the fence.
So yeah, great article - thanks for sharing and I'll be passing it around!
The fence was pretty quickly made kid-proof, and not long after the pool was filled in.
I was about three, and went on a bit of a ramble outside by myself. I managed to somehow get over/under the fence into next door's garden and walked across the pool cover which wasn't secured tightly and started to sink. Somehow my dad found me. He can't swim, but pulled on the cover reached out and grabbed me and pulled me to the side. I get chills thinking that I could easily have quietly died that day, wrapped in plastic at the bottom of that pool if my dad hadn't had the foresight to wonder where I'd gone and look over the fence.
So yeah, great article - thanks for sharing and I'll be passing it around!
The fence was pretty quickly made kid-proof, and not long after the pool was filled in.
simon.r
Person
- Location
- Nottingham
Interesting how many people have been saved by lifeguards. My daughter is a part-time lifeguard at a local pool and has been called upon to save the life a toddler who was (by her account) not being supervised properly by his parent and who had somehow got into the deep end of the pool.
The pool she works at is run by a private company (on behalf of the local council). Until recently she was paid under £5 an hour (now she's 18 it's just over £5 an hour). I realise the wages are a case of supply and demand and I'm obviously biased, but even so it seems that we under-value the work that ligeguards do.
(Good link BTW)
The pool she works at is run by a private company (on behalf of the local council). Until recently she was paid under £5 an hour (now she's 18 it's just over £5 an hour). I realise the wages are a case of supply and demand and I'm obviously biased, but even so it seems that we under-value the work that ligeguards do.
(Good link BTW)
PBancroft
Senior Member
- Location
- Winchester
I guess its because of how the role is perceived by the public. Most of the time the lifeguards aren't needed to intervene, and when they are a lot of what they do is pre-emptive (stopping overly boisterous behaviour, running or being a nuisance to other swimmers etc.). Beyond that they sort of fade into the background and aren't really visible to either the public or to management.
Kind of like cleaning staff. They don't feature very highly on anybody's pay list, but would sure as hell be missed if they weren't there.
Night Train
Maker of Things
- Location
- Greater Manchester
Some of the posts makes me think of how much my folks did look out for me when I was a kid.
I remember one time, when I was a toddler, we were out on the banks of a small river somewhere with nets and stuff playing at fishing. I slipped down the bank into the water and by the time the water got to my waist my Dad had hauled me back out again. Thanks Dad!
On an aside I was noticing the current Boots advert of the family by the hotel pool. The kid wants to go in the pool but the folks don't. Then Granny runs at the pool and bombs into it.
I was always taught not to run near pools and then learnt why the hard way.
When I was six we went on holiday and the hotel had a pool. As I ran across to where my brother was getting in my feet slipped out from under me and I fell backwards cracking my head on the tiled floor. I saw stars and then blacked out.
Next thing I knew I was being carried by a stranger to our room where I was laid out on the bed.
I had concussion but I don't think I was taken to hospital.
Maybe that accounts for the
I remember one time, when I was a toddler, we were out on the banks of a small river somewhere with nets and stuff playing at fishing. I slipped down the bank into the water and by the time the water got to my waist my Dad had hauled me back out again. Thanks Dad!
On an aside I was noticing the current Boots advert of the family by the hotel pool. The kid wants to go in the pool but the folks don't. Then Granny runs at the pool and bombs into it.
I was always taught not to run near pools and then learnt why the hard way.
When I was six we went on holiday and the hotel had a pool. As I ran across to where my brother was getting in my feet slipped out from under me and I fell backwards cracking my head on the tiled floor. I saw stars and then blacked out.
Next thing I knew I was being carried by a stranger to our room where I was laid out on the bed.
I had concussion but I don't think I was taken to hospital.
Maybe that accounts for the
OP
OP
Globalti
Legendary Member
When Gti Junior was a toddler we went to a resort on the North Wales coast. Like all toddlers he wanted to get in the sea and he was bumbling around when a bigger wave came in and knocked him flying, tumbling him over. He was well under the surface but luckily I was beside him and I grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the water. Had the feeling that could have turned nasty.
The Wild Swimming programme featuring Alice Roberts
had an explanation of the effects of entering very cold water. An involuntary reflex makes you gasp as the diaphragm goes into spasm at the shock. The presenter explained that the biggest risk is of inhaling water when you gasp, making the point that you only need to inhale 1/3 of a pint to be in trouble.
The Wild Swimming programme featuring Alice Roberts
had an explanation of the effects of entering very cold water. An involuntary reflex makes you gasp as the diaphragm goes into spasm at the shock. The presenter explained that the biggest risk is of inhaling water when you gasp, making the point that you only need to inhale 1/3 of a pint to be in trouble.
