A child is drowning - what to do?

There are signs that may indicate impending drowning: a child's head tilted back with the mouth open, eyes closed or wandering, deep breathing and fighting for air, waving his/her arms, jittery moves and unsuccessful attempts to swim. It is not uncommon for drowning to take place in complete silence, without crying for help or other warning sounds.

What to do if a child is drowning?

  1. Call for help out loud!
  2. Get the child out of the water as soon as possible, taking into account the possibility of a neck injury. Do not endanger yourself when rescuing a drowning person.
  3. Check if the child is breathing. If not, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation immediately and call the emergency medical service as soon as possible (194)
  4. If someone else is present, send him/her to call the emergency medical service (194), and do not interrupt cardiopulmonary resuscitation until the child begins to breathe, or until an ambulance arrives.