Drowning doesn’t look like drowning

Scary (especially for parents), but a must read. Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning, via John Gruber:

So if a crew member falls overboard and every looks O.K.—don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them: “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all—they probably are. If they return a blank stare—you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents: children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

This was a bit of a wake-up call for me: TV and movies have conditioned me to think that a drowning person flaps and flails and yells for help. I’m so glad I know what it really looks like now; but here’s to hoping you and I never have to put the knowledge into practice.