Thread by @ErwanLeCorre

“Lucky to be alive.”

Haha, yes, but no.

This elite swim team fortunately did respond quickly - bravo to that! - yet unfortunately has never been taught how to respond with technique and efficacy.

Let me explain.

https://twitter.com/DailyMailAU/status/1539883296187875331

When someone blacks out underwater, the obvious priority is to bring the victim back to the surface as quickly and safely as possible.

Instead of grabbing the torso to bring the victim back to the surface, the swimmer should hold the victim’s head with both hands straight away.

One hand firmly holds the back of the head to push the limp body upwards, the second hand closes the victim’s airways by keeping the lower jaw tight while pinching the nose between fingers.

On top of ensuring that no water goes into the airways - which would make the rescue even more challenging - it also streamlines the victim’s body, avoids water drag (as seen on the photo) and leaves more space for the rescuer’s legs to move freely.

Instead of a whole team trying to bring the swimmer to the shore, the victim could have been instantly revived straight on the surface of the water by the same diver who swam to brought her to the surface.

This simple procedure is called “BLOW TAP TALK.” Memorize that, it could save lives.

Blow: as you maintain the victim’s face above the surface, blow on their eyelids. This alone will instantly revive the victim in most cases, especially if they only stayed seconds underwater.

The trigeminal nerve that’s on your face - eyelids, inside of the nostrils and upper lip - senses of your face is immersed or not, and if it’s safe to breathe or not.
When you black out in the water, you stop breathing because your autonomic nervous system determines you can’t.

As soon as the eyelids detects air blowing on the eyelids, the autonomic nervous system resumes ventilation.

In the unlikely case that blowing isn’t enough, gently tapping the cheek and talking to the victim - ideally calling her by her name- should finish the job.

Being unconscious and without ventilation for a few seconds isn’t in itself a life threat. It’s akin to intentionally holding your breath for a few seconds. It is not harmful to the brain at all attending that it’s just for seconds and that someone is around to save the victim.

Freedivers are basically underwater swimmers and blacking out happens from time to time when limits are pushed.
Except that unlike this whole swim team, all freedivers know exactly how to effectively respond in the way I have described.

When it happens in pools, typically at the end of a max distance effort, the rescue is instant because the safety protocols are rigorously followed.
When it happens in the sea, how fast the victim is safe depends on how deep the blackout happens.

Though rare, a black out can be a “deep black out” which simply means that one loses consciousness far below the surface, as deep as 30 meters/100 feet.
The freediver is then pushed back to the surface in the way I have described, by another freediver or two equipped with fins.

Then the BLOW TAP TALK is done and it works every time at quickly reviving the unconscious victim. They are then given oxygen to breathe for a bit until they feel better.

It takes no time to learn how to do it and IMO all swim teams should learn it!

*bring