– Even if we swim well in inland waters, it does not mean that we will swim well in the sea. There are different conditions here – backcurrents, undulations, and sometimes this wave pulls you into the depths. You have to have respect for an element that is much stronger than us, water rescuer Leszek Pytel told PAP.
- Leszek Pytel has been a lifeguard for 46 years
- In his opinion, tourists are drowning most often at the seaside, not locals
- The lifeguard warns against swimming in unguarded areas, ignoring the red flag, rapidly cooling the body in water and drinking alcohol
- You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page
Lifeguard: tourists are drowning
Pytel, who has been a WOPR lifeguard for 46 years and has been the head of lifeguards guarding safety on the seaside beaches of the Mielno commune for 25 years, judged on the basis of his own experience that “unfortunately, tourists are drowning most often, not locals”.
– A typical situation is such that a person with family or friends comes from the south of Poland and after the whole night trip goes to the beach. He goes into the water and there is either a heart attack or drowning Pytel said.
He added that he did not remember a woman who had drowned in the Mielno commune. – The vast majority of them were men of different ages. In the case of the older 50- and 60-year-olds, there are usually heart attacks, medical history after too sudden entry to the Baltic Sea, with a large difference in water and air temperatures. But we also had firefighters in their twenties who came for training and two were drowning. We also had a priest who came with a group of children from Szczecinek and the rescuers saved the children, but the priest was pulled by a wave and gave his body back only after six days in Darłowo – the head of the rescue workers from Mielno said.
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He noted that the sea can change within a few hours. – Here the conditions for swimmers are never the same. Even if we swim well in inland waters, it does not mean that we will swim well in the sea, because there are reverse currents and waves here. It is not always the case that it is easy to return to the shore with the wave, sometimes it extends into the depths. Where there was shallow water one day, it is not there the next – emphasized Pytel.
He also pointed out that the Baltic Sea does not have a high salinity and therefore “drown a little easier in it than in the Mediterranean or the Atlantic Ocean”.
He added that he himself, although he has been swimming for years and experience allows him to say that he does it well, does not flow into the sea depth. – You have to respect an element that is much stronger than us – he emphasizes.
In his opinion, about 20-30 percent. sunbathers can only swim just as much, a maximum of a few can do it, but in a swimming pool, which, according to Pytel, may not be enough for sea conditions. The others have no idea about swimming at all. – Perception changes under the influence of alcohol. People gain confidence, courage and enter the water, risking their lives – said Pytel.
How are drowning people in the Baltic Sea saved?
He added that rescuers have 3 to 5 minutes to rescue a drowning person in the Baltic Sea. – Maybe up to 6 minutes. More than 10 minutes is usually a search for a drowned person – Pytel said, in whose opinion this is the most important argument for using guarded beaches. He noted that he did not remember drowning on the guarded beaches in Mielno. They were all away from them or after the rescuers’ working hours.
He mentioned a tragic event from a few years ago. Several teenagers left the group on the unguarded beach in the Mielno commune. One was under the water. – After 45 minutes, the heart was able to resume work, but the brain was no longer working. The boy was disconnected from the apparatus – said Pytel.
He reported that in this year’s summer season, and in one weekend, two people drowned on unguarded beaches in Mielno. So that there were no more victims, Pytel called for swimming in the sea on guarded beaches, in bathing areas marked with buoys – red for those who cannot swim and yellow for those who can.
– Don’t jump into the water from the breakwaters, because your spine may be fractured. Let’s not enter the sea when the red flag is displayed, because it means that there is too much wave – above 3 degrees on the Beaufort scale, too large a difference in air and water temperatures, where the Baltic Sea is below 13 degrees Celsius or there are reverse currents – he said Pytel.
He emphasized that on hot days and days with strong sun, do not enter the water quickly, and gradually cool down the most critical parts of the body, such as the neck and the heart area, so that the bath would not end with a thermal shock.
The head of the rescuers from Mielno also appealed to the parents and guardians of the children to watch them especially carefully on the beach.
– Children get lost on the beach because there are so many people. Besides, the landscape is monotonous, lots of screens. The only thing that stands out is the rescue turret. Therefore, when entering the beach with children, it is best to wear a wristband with your number on them. Such bands are provided by rescuers. We also have to tell the children that if they left for a moment, felt lost, they should go to the lifeguard tower. We will know what to do next, said Pytel.
In his opinion, it is unacceptable that the parents, instead of looking at the child, look at the sea and drink alcohol.
– There were cases when a drunk parent realized after a few hours that the child was not with him. We had a record holder, a child who went over 7 km to Sarbinowo. This season, the girl walked several hundred meters along the beach alone, while her mother reported drowning. There was a bottom search, action of all services – said Pytel.
The lifeguard emphasized that it is shameful the behavior of parents who take their children out of their sight or let them go into the water by themselves, explaining that they look at them that, if anything, they will be saved. – It’s not like that. They will not make it in time, just drinking water is dangerous, it can lead to sudden drowning – said Pytel.
author: Inga Domurat / PAP
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