Water Safety and CPR

I'm well aware that this is a little off topic.  But something happened to us recently that scared me.  A lot. And it takes a lot to do that because working as a Respiratory Therapist, I've seen a lot.  In the south, during the summer, It gets HOT and HUMID.  If you've ever visited during the summer season you know what I'm talking about.  I'm talking mid-June, 100 degree weather.  It feels like a blowdryer is on high in front of your face when you step outside.  Phew.  That being said, we've had quite a few of these record breaking scorcher days here lately.  We decided to take a little vacation last month before I returned to work from  a 16 week maternity leave.  Trying to enjoy those last sweet moments with my husband & two boys. 

We are a lake family.  We currently live maybe 20 or 25 minutes from Center Hill Lake in Cookeville, TN.  But we grew up on Dale Hollow Lake in Livingston, TN.  Talk about beautiful.  Beautiful, clean water.  I really am grateful for all of the fun times and great memories we've had on the lake.  But on our vacation, I recieved a little scare and it made me skiddish of the lake.  Let me start by saying Caleb HATES going under water.  Absolutely no matter what kind of reward I have tried, he will not do it. Wouldn't do it for the swimming lessons instructor.  Wouldn't do it in the kiddie pool at the local pool.  Won't do it at the swimming pool at our house which is only 3 ft deep.


As we sat on the boat enjoying the beautiful scenery that is Dale Hollow Lake on our vacation, Caleb decided he was finished swimming for the moment.  My husband was sitting on the swim platform on the back of the boat, dipping his legs into the water. Our son climbed up the ladder, got into the boat and continued to take his life jacket off.  We were anchored at this time, so I told him he could only take the life jacket off if he came up front and sat by me in the shade, and could only keep it off until we started moving again.  He took the life jacket off and layed it in the floor of the boat.  I turned around sitting our youngest son back into his infant carrier, preparing to make more room to sit.  All of a sudden, I heard a splash.  I frantically spun around seeing no sign of Caleb other than his life jacket laying in the floor. 


Let me stop at this point.  I am a respiratory therapist.  No clue what that is?  Basically when someone comes into the hospital with breathing problems, whether it be because they have asthma, or because they have been in a traumatic car wreck,  because they have COPD, have had a heart attack, have bronchitis, or because they have drowned, I am called to assist with these emergencies.  Depending upon the problem, we help to keep people breathing.  We are part of a Rapid Response team.  We are trained for these emergency situations and to do our best to keep someone breathing.  Whether we have to give a breathing treatment, intubate a patient (sticking a tube down someone's trachea to help them breathe), putting someone on a ventilator... etc.  But at that moment, when I saw that my son was NOT in the boat with me... I. Panicked.


He had apparently decided to sit with his daddy on the swim platform.  The swim platform was slick from all of the climbing in and out of the boat we had been doing.  He slipped and fell in the water, right next to my husband.  Thank the Good Lord he was so close. Immediately after hearing the splash, I screamed to my husband, "HE DOESN'T HAVE HIS LIFE JACKET ON!"  Talk about scary.  He was close enough to Josh that he was able to just reach in and pick him up. 
The point of this long and drug out story? I encourage you to learn CPR.  I'm confident I would have been able to pull it together and perform CPR as my husband drove us back to the dock.  I want everyone to not have to live with the fear of 'what if?'  What if your baby fell in without a life jacket?  What if you didn't immediately notice?  What if they stopped breathing?  What if?  I also encourage you to follow the law and keep your life jackets on your sweet babies.  I don't care how hot of a southern summer we're having, there will be NO MORE taking off the life vests when we are on the lake.  PERIOD.  One time is all it takes to loose someone. 

Learning CPR is KEY to saving the life of someone who is in cardiac arrest, and it's quite possible that you might have the opportunity to save someone you know. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, 8 out of every 10 cardiac arrests take place at home.  That means that the best chance of survival for someone >YOU care about< lies in YOUR hands.  Not the doctors at the nearest hospital, not to knock the doctors.  Some are amazing.  But once so much time has passed, even the best of doctors cannot bring your loved ones back.  To reach the hospital takes time. Time is precious.  A critical care physician once told me that every minute of delay reduces chance of survival by 10%.  EVERY MINUTE!  Meaning if you're located more than 10 minutes from the hospital, or you're out on the lake like we were on this particular day, if you don't immediately perform CPR, the likelyhood of survival is 0.  If you can get to a victim fast, and perform well, you may be able to save that person's life. 

Are you looking for a general CPR and AED class to prepare you to save the life of a loved one or family member?  Call the American Heart Association and let them set up a class for you.  It's worth it.  You definitely don't want to be in the situation and wish you would've taken the class when its too late.  Call AHA today and to locate a course, please call the National Service Center at 1-877-AHA-4CPR.