Incidents around water may involve people of any age. Young children are at risk even with very shallow water. However most cases of drowning, involve people who have been swimming in strong currents or very cold water, or who have been swimming or boating after drinking alcohol.
Your first priority is to get the casualty on to dry land with minimum danger to yourself. The safety way to rescue a casualty is to stay on land and pull him from the water with your hands, a stick, a branch, or a rope; alternatively, throw him a floating device. If you are a life saver or if the casualty is unconscious you may have to wade or swim to the casualty and tow him to dry land. It is safer to wade than to swim. Once the casualty is out of the water shield him from the wind, if possible prevent his body from being chilled any further, then treat him for drowning
Arrange to take casualty to hospital even if the victim seems to have recovered.
