Of all the videos that get passed around and shared on the Internet, this one, which has recently gone viral, is a true must see, especially for parents. In it you see a crowded wave pool, with kids splashing and having fun. A few seconds in, a child starts drowning, but it isn't until a lifeguard jumps in and rescues her that your attention is even drawn to the drowning child.
It's chilling because it's so easy to overlook this struggling child. There's so much action and commotion all around, that nobody seems to notice. Thankfully the lifeguard does, but it's a scene that could and does play out more tragically in pools and other bodies of water everywhere.
Watch it. Share it. And the next time you're near water, remember it.
Embedded content: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0KTqPloUiU
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I was at a crowded water park the other day with a lazy river, wave pools, slides, and all the usual fun water activities. There were so many people, and so much activity that such a scene would be easy to miss even if you were nearby. According to an article on Slate, of the approximately 750 children who die in a year of drowning, about 375 of them do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult.
The video was uploaded to YouTube as part of training for lifeguards, but it's such a vital example for all parents to watch. While lifeguards are invaluable, they simply can't see everything going on and aren't always there, so we all should know what the signs of drowning look like. Here's a great article that describes four signs of drowning, which coupled with this video really makes you rethink what you thought you knew about people drowning.
Image via © iStock.com/ChenRobert
