Drowning Rescue Guide

Drowning — Water Rescue & CPR

How to safely rescue and resuscitate a drowning victim.

Call 911/112 Immediately

Drowning can cause death in under 5 minutes. Never enter deep water unless you are a trained rescuer. Use a reaching or throwing rescue method first. Brain damage begins after just 4 minutes without oxygen.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1

Call for Help First

Call 911/112 immediately. Shout for a lifeguard. Do NOT jump in unless you are trained — panicking drowning victims can pull rescuers under.

2

Reach or Throw, Don't Go

Extend a pole, rope, towel, or branch to the person. Throw a life ring, cooler, or any flotation device. Only enter water as a last resort and with a flotation aid.

3

Remove From Water

Once the person is out of the water, lay them on their back on a flat surface. Check for responsiveness — tap and shout.

4

Check Breathing

Look, listen, and feel for breathing for no more than 10 seconds. If they are not breathing or only gasping, begin CPR immediately.

5

Begin CPR

Give 5 initial rescue breaths first (drowning victims need air urgently), then continue with standard CPR: 30 chest compressions followed by 2 breaths. Continue until help arrives.

6

Recovery Position

If the person starts breathing, place them in the recovery position (on their side) to allow water to drain from their mouth. Keep them warm.

Do's and Don'ts

Do's

  • Call emergency services before attempting rescue
  • Use reach-throw-row-go method (in that order)
  • Start rescue breathing as soon as possible
  • Keep the person warm after rescue

Don'ts

  • Don't jump in unless trained — you may drown too
  • Don't try to pump water out of the stomach
  • Don't assume the person is fine if they are conscious — "secondary drowning" can occur hours later
  • Don't leave a rescued person unattended

Aftercare

All near-drowning victims must be evaluated at a hospital, even if they seem fine. Delayed pulmonary edema ("secondary drowning") can occur 1–24 hours later.
Monitor for coughing, difficulty breathing, or unusual sleepiness in the hours after the incident.