You’re an adult, and you know that doing stupid things in the pool can lead to drowning accidents, but if you’re like most adults, then you probably think that drowning accidents are just for kids. The truth is that many adults sustain serious injuries and die from swimming accidents every year. In fact, the Department of Health Services (DHS) reports that 50 or more adults are seen in the emergency room each year throughout the state for drowning injuries. You don’t have to be one of them. You can protect yourself from injuries sustained in an underwater accident by following these tips.
Don’t assume that you are invincible. One of the biggest problems with adult swimming incidents that lead to drowning is that the adult thinks that they can keep going when they’re tired or that horsing around won’t cause injuries. Just because you’re grown up now doesn’t mean that you can’t sustain injuries by swallowing too much water, or from being too tired to keep swimming.
Don’t swim while tired. Everyone is trying to get fit these days. And that means that you’ll want to work out every morning and every night. But if you’re tired, it’s okay to skip the workout. You have to have energy in order to workout. You would never lift 200 lbs. on the bench if you weren’t strong enough, and it’s important to apply that theory to swimming, especially because while at the gym, someone will eventually come; this isn’t always true at the pool or the lake.
If you can help it, don’t swim alone. The fact is that it only takes roughly two to three minutes to lose consciousness once water has started entering your lungs. In most situations you could be dead within five to 10 minutes. Having someone with you while you swim can help to ensure that you will have someone to help get you out of the water before the unthinkable happens.
Remember, swimming is a fun form of exercise, but you have to be safe and never assume that nothing bad can happen to you just because you’re an adult.