I just felt like sharing this story cos I believe this information can help save more lives.

I went with my sis and a friend to Randolph hotel (formerly known as Savannah hotel), old Aba road Portharcourt on Christmas day.
They all wanted to swim in the hotel pool, but I didn't feel like swimming. Just wanted to sit and watch.

Anyway, I went to the reception to get them the swimming tickets. On My way back to the pool, I saw a crowd gathered by the side of a pool in a circle. I instantly knew there had been an accident or incident in the pool. I quickly rushed to the scene and sure enough a young boy had drowned in the pool and had been pulled out by a life guard.

The boy was unconscious, but with the actions of the crowd he could soon be saying goodbye to earth within a few minutes. I pushed my way through the crowd and got to the unconscious victim. The crowd was in panic. People were screaming, some were praying, and a few others were attempting yo revive the victim, but they were unknowingly doing the opposite.
I spotted a hotel staff and a hotel manager who is a white man. As a first aider, I told them who I am and directed them to stop their actions. They were carrying out chest compression on the boy, even though his heart was still beating. Chest compression should only be done when there is no heart beat, otherwise forcing a different rhythm on an already beating heart can lead to death.
I asked the life guards to move the crowd back, to allow for air flow. Then I checked his heart beat and breath. Heart beat was low. Victim wasn't breathing. He had blood from his nostrils. I opened his mouth, his tongue had collapsed, blocking his airway.
I tilted his head and raised his chin, to clear his airway which was blocked by his tongue. That seemed to do it cos he began to breathe gradually, though with difficulty.
I turned him on his side in the recovery position to keep the airway clear and to enable fluids drip from his mouth.

Within 10 minutes the boy was fully conscious. I got some people to help me move him to a seat. I made him seat with his elbows resting on his thighs, and his head bent slightly forward. We covered him with a huge towel to keep him warm.
Another 10 minutes and he was handed to his aunt who came to the pool with him.
Before now, she had been really hysterical and in a state of panic and shock, cos they thought he wasn't gonna make it.

As I made my way back to my seat, the manager (a white man) met me and thanked me for intervening.. He took me to the bar and told me to take any drink of my choice. I declined, but he insisted I accept the hotel's gift of thanks. So I took a pack of hollandia yoghurt. I didn't need alcoholic drink which he was insisting on.

I went back to my seat and soon everything became normal. Folks were swimming, dancing, playing etc. Two hours later, there was another incident. This time, it was much worse... Nobody saw it coming....

To be continued....

There are lessons to be learnt in this true life story.
Getting a drowning or drowned victim out of water is only the first step. What you do next will determine whether he survives or not.
I did my first aid training few months ago, and 25th December is the first time I've responded to a drowned person...

I believe it was God working through me to save the lives of the two young boys....

Second incident coming soon.
I hope someone learns from this, and save lives someday

Am waiting !!

Pics

Can't see the pics I uploaded

Just got the above pix from someone who got it from some other person. The story went around a bit.

Okay, so let have the concluding part of your story.

Two hours later, another young boy was pulled out of the water. He was unconscious. As I made my way towards the crowd around him, I could hear people screaming that he was dead.
The life guard didn't notice him on time, and they were making mistakes again. Mistakes which could guarantee that the victim will not regain consciousness.

First mistake was that they hadn't pulled him completely out of the water. The lower part of his legs were still in water. As such, any mistake could cause him to fall back into danger. Always try to remove victim away from edge of pool.

Second mistake was that they were pressing his stomach, in an effort to force water out. This is a dangerous maneuver. Forcing him to vomit water is wrong, cos he could inhale whatever he vomits at that time.
Remember its nor the water in the stomach that kills drowned victims, its the water in the lungs that causes suffocation.

I pulled him further away from the pool, knelt by his side and checked for breathing and pulse. He had pulse, but he wasn't breathing. I opened his mouth and saw that his airway was blocked with vomitus.
I wrapped my handkerchief around my index and middle finger, and used it to clear his mouth.
Then I bent his head back and lifted his chin. As I prepared to commence mouth to mouth (kiss of life), I noticed a slow but steady rise of his stomach. He had started breathing.
I quickly set him on recovery position, keeping his mouth open, and rubbing his upper back with my free hand.
Within five minutes his breath had become more stable, but he was still unconscious.
It took 10 more minutes to get him strong enough to sit on a chair.
His mom who had been crying hysterically, was calm when she saw her son responding to my questions and jokes. I tried to encourage him and asked him to count 1 to 20.
When I was sure he was okay, I stood up and left. As I made my way back to my seat, I was greeted by a few people. Some must be thinking I work in the hotel.
2 minutes later, the white man came to meet me. He was accompanied by a black man. The tall black man introduced himself as the general manager of the hotel. He thanked me for my efforts and asked where I work. I told him I'm a safety officer at (name withheld).
He gave me his number to call him if I ever need his help. The GM also said that from henceforth, I am to use the pool free anytime I come there. And if I come with a friend, that friend will also use the pool free.

My joy is that two families didn't get to mourn on Christmas day.
Jesus saves, and He will do so through anyone at anytime.
Be blessed

Sarah a: Okay, so let have the concluding part of your story.

There, you have it.
Pls I used a touch screen phone to type this o.
If u see any typo, pls let me know...

staggerman:

There, you have it.
Pls I used a touch screen phone to type this o.
If u see any typo, pls let me know...

. Abeg forget about mistake , all that matter is effective communication which you have done .

Sarah a: . Abeg forget about mistake , all that matter is effective communication which you have done .

Thanks...