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Comment by teekert | Hacker News Reader

What I wonder is, if you don't have any control over your own movements anymore, how likely are you to also drown the person that is trying to save you? Is that something that can happen?

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Yes, very likely.

You'll notice that lifeguards usually approach from behind the person that needs rescue. The standard response is to grab anything that can help the drowning person stay afloat, which includes the rescuer.

Likely. The person who saved me, was yelling at me to turn around with the back towards them so me flailing and grabbing them won't pull them down. I could hear them, yet I could not do what they were telling me. It happened eventually, but yeah I imagine it would be a problem.

Yes. I just finished Rescue Diver certification and there's a whole section on what to do when confronted with a panicked diver. Generally speaking, when people panic, they won't listen to instructions, will do nonsensical things (like not inflate their BCD which would keep them afloat) and try to use anything and anyone as an island to keep themselves up. There's a bunch of techniques we're trained on but in general, you should approach them from behind and be prepared to kick off in order to save yourself if they come after you.

Quite likely. I nearly drowned once at sea and my friend came out to get me but I kept dragging him under because I literally had no energy left to do anything, let alone the brain power to coordinate my movements. Fortunately he was a very strong swimmer and so we made it back in one piece.

From what I've read, it can be common practice to punch the drowning person to stun them and stop flailing limbs.

The simplest way to get a drowning person off you is to go down. With your arms at your sides, push up, like the reverse of when you're trying to lunge out of the water. As soon as the drowning person's head goes below water they will let go and you can come back for another attempt.

Don't punch them, it's less effective and can knock them unconscious, which can complicate the rescue.

Source: was a trained and certified lifeguard and swim teacher in my teens.

Better source than mine, listen to this guy!

I was taught to grab a handful anywhere (excepting the elbow), and pinch hard. Drowning is bad enough without adding a concussion to it, and possibly injuring your own hand.

Heh, not trying to knock them unconscious with a blow to the head, but to surprise them (like pinching would).

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