The surf in Jantar took people away. The lifeguard explains why

There was a tragedy in Jantar (Pomeranian Voivodeship): five people drowned in the sea. According to the water rescuers, one person was kidnapped by the water and the others wanted to save her. Unfortunately, they all fell into the so-called breaking wave. What is it and why is it so dangerous that it can kill us?

1. The surf reflects off the shore, creating a stream current in a direction from shore to sea
2. Such a current is often very strong and “throws” far into the sea
3. As Mateusz Wawryszuk, a medical and water rescuer explains, he drowns because people try to “save themselves by using techniques that work in normal water conditions”
4. The expert also explains why we should rather not enter the water to save a drowning person and how to help without risking our lives
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Tragedy in Jantar: five people drowned

The tragedy took place in Jantar in the province. Pomeranian. One of the sunbathers entered the water, despite the waving red flag prohibiting swimming in the sea. The bather was swept by a wave, and four people ran to save him. They also couldn’t get out of the electricity.

Thanks to the rescue operation, four people were able to get out of the water. Two of them were conscious, their lives were not in danger. Two more underwent cardiopulmonary resuscitation. One is still wanted. It is known that this is the person who first entered the water despite the ban on bathing.

The drowning people were swept away by the surge. This is a very dangerous point in the water

According to the information that was obtained from rescuers, the bathers were most likely carried away by the surf wave. It is a kind of wave that breaks down in the so-called the surf zone, i.e. places where waves hit (bounce off) the seashore. There, a plow current (also known as a bursting or dragging stream) is created in the opposite, backward direction, i.e. from the shore to the sea.

The strength of such a current can be very large. When a person enters it, the wave does not immediately pull it under the water, but pushes it away from the shore, sometimes very far. It is also very difficult to get out of such a current.

The rest of the text below the video.

According to Mateusz Wawryszuk, paramedic and lifeguard, reverse currents and waves are one of the greatest threats we face on the Baltic Sea.

– At our seaside, weather conditions, waves and reverse currents are a threat. Drowning occurs especially in the latter because we try to save ourselves there using techniques that work well in normal water conditions. For example, we are trying to swim to the shore, but it is against the current, so the effectiveness of such an action is close to zero. It is also impossible to go with the flow, because it can throw us far out into the sea. It’s best to try to get out of such a current by going sideways. Fortunately, the reverse currents are not too wide – you can get out of them quite quickly and swim to the shore, as long as you know what to do and in which direction to go – he emphasizes.

Saving drowning people requires training

One of the reasons for the scale of the tragedy in Jantar was the fact that the drowning people were rescued by civilians who are not properly trained in water rescue. According to Mateusz Wawryszuk, saving a drowning person is a huge challenge even for a lifeguard who is prepared for such situations, knows the procedures and is equipped with professional equipment. A civilian who does not have these advantages exposes himself to mortal danger by jumping into the water to save a drowning person.

– Whether we can swim does not matter. Swimming skills, even if they are brilliant, are insufficient to help a drowning person. Lifeguards never enter the water without belaying. Helping a drowning person, even with the knowledge of specialized holds and swimming techniques in water rescue, is very difficult and dangerous, even for a lifeguard. Therefore, at the level of first aid from water, we will only help as a last resort – says the lifeguard.

How to help a drowning person?

So how can we help when we see someone drowning? First, we give the drowning person something to hold on to. – A rescue crampon, a long stick, is ideal. We pass it directly to the hands of the drowning person; such assistance is the fastest – precise and effective, and we are safe because we stay on the shore. As a last resort, we improvise and look for whatever we can give that person. It can be a stick, a towel, a sun umbrella, a screen, whatever – the expert advises.

If it is too far for the drowning person to reach the object we are handing over, we have two options. – First we try to throw this thing to him. We are looking for a lifebuoy or a lifebuoy in the vicinity. We missed? We download and try again. We hit? We pull the rope. Remember to hold the end of the throw! We are also careful not to hit the head with such a wheel, so we aim at the drowning person, not at him. The wheel will reach it with the force of its momentum – says Mateusz Wawryszuk.

If this does not work, we can swim to the drowning person. – Preferably by boat, pedalo, kayak or SUP board. It can also be anything we have at hand that floats in the water and has a high buoyancy: a wheel, a mattress on which we were swimming. We never shake hands! We approach and carefully hand or push the item into the hands of the drowning person. We come both only when we can swim and it is safe in the water. We never risk our own life – warns the lifeguard.

The advice contained in the publication does not represent complete knowledge of first aid to a drowning person. Water rescue requires professional training.

We encourage you to listen to the latest episode of the RESET podcast. This time Kamila Wykrota, the resilience trainer, will tell us about what resilience is. How does the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and react to adversities affect our quality of life? You will find out by listening to the latest episode of our podcast.