The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-06
DROWNING DUE TO FEAR
PANIC SEXES THE VICTIM AND
THE ONLOOKERS ALIKE.

PANIC SEXES THE VICTIM AM
THE ONLOOKERS ALIKE.
Small Use for Amy One hut . sknle,
Swimmer to Jump to the Bescu,
Views OF Professional Teacher,
Children Should BE Taught to Swim
Presence OF mind in time Of DANCE,
snd a knowledge Of how to swim are two
things In which Americans are inferio,
to some others, the English. for example
This La the opinion Of O seafaring man
and 1t was given in q talk suggested by
the recent drowning In the Hackensach
River OF five young persona while twios
that number looked on. Lack OF presence
Of mind. not cowardice. was mainly 70
sponsible, he thought. for the tragedy,
coupled with the fact that presumably
neither the lookerson moi the victims
knew how to swim.
II oan understand said he, "persons
who have lived all their life in an inland
town. miles from a river or lake. being
helpless when suddenly dumped in the
water or on seeing others In q similar
fix. but l do not understand why men
and women brought up alongside the
water should lose their wits under the
same conditions. Surely they know.
or ought to know, that for q few minutes
anyway a may be as safe in the water
as a cork. People living In English sea-
ports are not nearly 30 scary'
A mar who looks after one OF the city's
piers, and in his younger days wal an
expert swimmer, entertains also a pretty
poor opinion of the presence Of mind
Of the general public here.
This man has helped to rescue several
persons from drowning by plunging
in after them. but Of late In such cases
he merely filings a life pressrver which
he keeps handy. What he would do
away from the dock and with no life pre-
server to fling he is not certain.
Il haven't forgotten how to SWIM he
told a Sun reporter. 'and II I knew how
much or how little OF a fool the person in
the water was I might take a chance.
II he were q stranger most likely l would
stay ashore When | was younger of
course l was stronger n a lot quicker
than l am now and when u person ! was
trying to pull out Of the water fastened on
to me with that fool clutch | just of and
gave him a blow to stun. after which it
vas plain sailing. Az every mt knows,
rescuer can't use his arms for all they are
worth and the pair Of them is likely to 60
down. When used to go in for the rescue
act | was careful, first Of all, to ma ke q grab
for the clothing al the back Of the neck
and then hold the person away from me IS
l struck Out with the other arm toward
the shore or boat orany other an anchorage
any other way | fell back on a
blow. OF course you have to
learn how to do that too. and to be mighty
quick about it. In the case of a woman
It's diferenx Women can hold on all
right, but they don't have as much
strength in their arms as men have. It's
to break their grip.
Il remember once jumping In after a
who fell overheard from q cat
boat in Great South Bay on a rough day.
and the first thing she did wa to grab my
arm with both hands and hold on
like grim death. In a fash / gave her
hands a couple Of sharp blows with my
left and as she let 60 | caught her and held
her of. That gave me a chance to work
my right arm until the boat could pick
us both up.
Strike a mans hands and they don't
1t takes a knockout head rap to
do him any good
This is what I say: It's lack Of a
presence OF mind that Is respon-
sihle for most OF the drownings. and
men and women act pretty much the same
when they think they are in danger Of
X.
mo, ! don't call every man a coward
who doesn't jump In the water to help
% rescue some n already In the water,
for unless a man is strong and a good
nine times out OF ten he will
,e of no help at all and merely run the
fisk Of losing his own life.
Il haven't q whole lot Of respect
or any man who gets 10 flustered as TO
stand still and let a man or woman
brown without doing n thing TO help.
have seen 1t happen though, | knew
/ New York nan who got 40 ratified when
his fishing companion fell overheard
hat he jumped around the boat, which
,ns ..s0 Yelling i in an aaony: oh. Sa f psss,
What shall do? | can't swim You
fool Pete roarei back, sit down
md row for all you're worth Pete him-
wasn't much on the swimming. but
ne knew enough 10 keep his head above
\ ater till he got hold Of the boat. Besides,
had presence of mind. Had his friend
overheard Pete. O n the instant
would probably have held nut one OF the
,ars to him and the trick would have
done without any rowing.
y once saw and heard n bunch of
women stand screaming because a row
BOAT which two small boys had rugged up
With a homemade sail capsized In the
River at a point where the
water isn't five feet deep and 80 narrow
a talk across 1t, None Of them
made a move to push out In one OF three
'ownosts tied to the little wharf not
yards from where they stood. Tbs
Of the boys fell in a faint. Yet
,hese women dabbled around a little
day in a rowboat and must have
Known something about handling oars,
h boys were in no danger
or they held on to the boat; but then II
have been diff ersnt.'
A man who runs n big swimming pool
rom June till October and gives lessons
n swimming to several hundred men and
, omen in a season saws that although
most persons are aware that by splash
ng a little with the arms and Keeping
Up a SLOW treading movement with the
the beao NAV be keep above water
few minutes he never yet has seen a