Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-08-07
DROWNING BATHERs.
How to Rescue Them-An Interview
with Coney Island Life-saver.


ing" said William Johnson, the liie-saver
at the old iron pier, TO reporter Of the
Brooklyn Union.
"But whargO0d would presence of mind
dom case the drowning person grappled
with you, as was the case with the girls
at Clinton Point the other day" said the
reporter.
.You have 70 adopt a heroic remedy in
a ease like that" said Mr.. johnson. elf
a person struggled with me in the water
] would strike BIN so as TO make him
helpless. Ii ne caught me about the arms
| would. as | have done, butt him with
by bead until he released me. lie would
do it most nsrinctvely. The first thing
In rescuIng person is 70 he able to seize
him properly. He should be taken at
arms length, so that in his struggles he
may not mpece you.'
Don't drowning persons give them
selves up readllyP
mo; that's the strangest part OF It,.
They nearly al struggle with you as If
they thought YOU were trying to drown
them. remember one big man who was
drunk in the water and who was unable
10 hei p himself aud was rapidly drown
linz. | Went to his rescue. and he actually
fought With me so that mad TO knock him
beuaeisss 70 save his lite.'
"Do drunken men 80 in the water fire.
guentv?"
"They wouldn't naturally be allowed in
the water il their condition was known
The truth Is that they may be apparently
perfectly sober " hen they start in, and
the motion OF the water will render them
dizzy. A little salt water is sure to be
swallowed by the man, and it Will help
send the fumes to his head. Another
thing is that the bather ordinarily con-
HI "a Itch, IL b. Fs
TIE " alter once or twice and then letting
tie sun pour on it. while the lower part
Of hie body Is cool. This naturally draws
The blood 10 the brain and helps the liquor
to do It's work. People often bend their
heads 10 the breakers and let them pound
upon them until ! should think they'd
split their skulls. | wonder There are not
more cases Of brain conclusion. In fact,
most people drink before going in the
water instead of after coming out and
meet the breakers in the worst possible
W3v. Water is the easiest TO divide but
tat bardcst TO resist. Present an angle OF
your body u 1t and there is no trouble.
Otherwise there is always danger"
cit person goes under water, do you
wait for MIA 20 come up againE'
mo, sir. 1t is au old ana superstitious
tdea tnat person must come to the sur
face three times before he browns. The
truth is. be might come up half Ii dozen
times or be might not come up at all, sc
cOrdiBg as ne struggled or as his lun-
became filed with water. am always
in condition for swimming, and as soon
az RnV one goes under water | notice tho
condition Of the tide and jump in after
hfm. l have found several lying on the
bottom who would have drowned if | had
waited Tor their temperance"
after you bring them IN how would
You restore themT'
In the fir. place, they should be brought
in face downward, and then laid upon
their faces. so that their heads are lower
than the neither parts OF their bodies, and
the water they may have swallowed can
BOOut. There need be no rough action to
secure this result. In fact, the rolling
o. q person over a barrel or other rough
exercise might be the means Of killing
hem.'
ss'That Will not inSu a respirationY
ION, no. 10 bring 0ack the breath they
mus be placed IN Il reclining position, the
arms thrown ba i then each sue
cebsjyely thrown across the breast, which
shbnid be pressed in. This might be con-
tihued fer an hour or more with good re-
suit. In fact, lives have been lost because
people gave up too quick. Human
lives are worth hours OF work. At least
think So"
docs tue application OF brandy do good
asa rest0ratlveg"
"lf applied 10 the extremities, yes; but
when forced into PERSONS mouth, no. A
downing man wants all the room he can
ger for breath. Ii you lie on your back
Aalt conscious and struggling for breath,
you can see yourself how Your palate
would close your throat and nothing could
get into il. You would choke and die, and
] don't doubt deaths have been caused
this very way"
Does oyeT-eating cause cramps?"
s4sNOt st all Oyer-eating causes apo
pleXy. Cramps are usually caused by
the excessive aud unusual Use Of the
limbs. Have YOU ever put your arm or
leg to q sudden strain which has con-
tracted the musclesg That is what gives
Rswimmer a cramp. Men who are good
swimmers, but who do not swim often,
are the ones who are caught with cramp,
mere often in the leg, because the motion
Of swimming is an unusual one. When
trey get the cramp they lose their pres
ence of mind and give themselves up. The
right way to do Is for them, instead Of
giving up, 70 gradually let the limb out so
that the sinew may get its normal tension,
aud then thew will come out all right.
They can float easily il they only try, and
pat themselves out Of danger. / was at
laek ed with a cramp in my right leg while
bathing IN Seneca lake at a part which
was QnlathOmRDle. FOR second l lost
my presence Of mind. but II was a matter
bf life and death, and while held myself
up with my hands | gradually accus-
lOmed my leg to its normal position"
lis there any other source Of danger?"
"Ges; The habit Of diving. 10 is easy 10
1--we in the shallOwest water il a swimmer
Will only spread out the palms OF bis
hands as soon as he enters the water.
Ahis changes his course upward in an in
slant. have seen men break their necbs
BY diving from a distance of six feet
above the water without changing the
POSITION Of their hands when beneath the
pnrface. I'd Ike 10 emphasize the need
~ promptness IN rescuing people who
have gone down under water. Don't wait
for them 10 reappear, and don't be afraid
OF what they might do. A good swimmer
always has the best OF it, il ne keeps a
clear head. Then DO not carry drowning
persons face up. Always carry them
hice down, 80 any water they may have
swallowed shall run out OF the mouth, and
alter natural breathing has returned, and
not till taeu, should taey be given restora-
lives. 1 came near getting in light for
suggesting thls in toe case Of n young
woman at ieighb0ring bathing place,
but carried my point, and, think, saved
her lfe."
Mr.. johnson is practical exponent OF
bis theory OF lite-saying. He has saved
thirty persons from drowning since be has
lnou ht EOuew iei md lie Ia about Oh