溅水，叫喊，挣扎，每个人都知道溺水者是什么样子的，对吧？错了。在好莱坞之外，没有人会戏剧性地溺水。学习如何发现溺水的迹象并挽救生命。

凯文杜利摄。

注：针对这篇文章的评论提出了一个非常重要的观点。如果你没有受过训练，也不能正确地营救溺水的受害者，你很有可能自己也会成为受害者。在跳进去之前先呼救，如果可能的话，把实际的救援工作交给训练有素的专业人员。

我们都习惯于相信一个溺水的人会连枷，尖叫，否则会引起人们对自己的注意，这样他们就可以得到帮助。从表面上看，这似乎是有道理的，如果我们被困在湖里或挣扎在一个大池塘的深水区，我们肯定会大吵大闹地寻求帮助。只是溺水看起来不像电影里的戏剧化版本。在现实生活中溺水是如此的平淡无奇，10%的意外溺水发生在25码以内的人谁可以帮助。下面的指南是从美国海岸警卫队的期刊《现场》（2006年秋季）中摘录的。

1. Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled, before speech occurs.
2. Drowning people's mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people's mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.
3. Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water's surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water, permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.
4. Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Resp***e, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.
5. From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Resp***e people's bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.

在一个人达到非自愿溺水阶段之前，他们可能会呼救，因为他们处于所谓的“水上窘迫”状态，仍然有足够的能量和氧气移动。然而，并不是所有的人都会在他们感到痛苦但实际上还没有淹死的那一段短暂的时间里求助，而且很多人会很快地从痛苦变成溺水，甚至连喊都没有。一个人看上去很好并不意味着他就不会滑下去。密切关注孩子们，如果你在码头上向你的伙伴喊叫，而他没有回应，不要以为他只是在踩水。

如果这些关于溺水的话题让你意识到你可能应该学习心肺复苏术，你可以访问美国红十字会的培训门户网站找一个当地的课程，或者如果你只需要稍微掸掸一下它们，你可以看看我们分享的一些心肺复苏术相关的技巧，比如用空奶瓶检查心肺复苏术的强度和使用保持生命的节拍来计时你的按压。

现场（2006年秋季）@Google Docs[USCG通过gCaptain现场]