August Sees Record Number Of Deaths From Drowning With Figures Equaling 2021’s Total Count
Spain News
Published: 19 August 2022 18:28 CET
Figures from the National Drowning Report (INA), show that on Thursday, August 18, the number of deaths in Spain from drowning totalled the same figures reached for the entirety of 2021.
A total of 260 deaths were recorded in the middle of August and records from 2022 predict that this year Spain could see that figure reach 400. This estimation by the Royal Spanish Federation of Rescue and First Aid (RFESS), will equal figures reached prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
2021 saw fewer than 300 deaths throughout the entire year, this was the lowest recorded number of deaths from drowning since 2015, the year the INA was created. It was also the only year that saw less than 260 drownings during the summer period.
2017 was the year that recorded the highest number of drownings, with an annual total of 481.
Other years that had early recordings of 260 deaths are 2015, where 260 deaths were recorded on August 23, amassing a yearly total of 415 deaths, 2016 where the annual total recorded was 437 and 2019, where the yearly drowning total went on to be 440.
According to the RFESS, this data shows that the later this figure is reached, the fewer deaths occur overall.
The director of Prevention and Safety and spokesman for the Royal Spanish Federation of Rescue and First Aid, Francisco Cano said that this year's situation demonstrates "the need" for public institutions to commit to "a major action to raise social awareness of the problem of aquatic accidents and a State Aquatic Safety Strategy".
How to act to save a baby
According to Dr María Escobar, from the Gregorio Marañón Hospital Paediatric Emergency Service, the first thing you should do to try to save the life of a child who is under the age of one year, is to check to see if it is conscious. You do this by simply holding the baby's head or pinching it. If there is no response, it is necessary to open the baby’s airway.
To do this you need to raise the infant's chin and perform 5 subsequent insufflations, covering both its mouth and nose with your mouth.
If the baby is still unresponsive, proceed to perform compressions and call 112 if it has not yet been done.
To do the compressions, the infant's body should be hugged and with both thumbs do 30 compressions, followed by two more insufflations.
However, if you are alone with the baby, the infant's head will be held with one hand and the compressions will be performed by using the index and middle fingers of the other hand.
How to act to save a child older than one year
Dr María Escobar also explains that to save a child who is aged above one year old, you must first place the child on a flat, rigid surface and check they are conscious by pinching them on the arm or chest. If the child responds, they should be placed in a safety position. If they do not respond, their airway should be opened.
Raise the child's chin and look to see if they are breathing or not, if the answer is no, artificial respiration should be performed.
To do this pinch the nose and perform 5 insufflations through the mouth, if the child still does not respond call 112.
In addition to this, you should proceed to perform cardiac massage.
Do this by placing your hands above the pit of their stomach and perform 30 compressions at a rapid rate, follow the compression with two insufflations and then repeat this method until either the child reacts or until the emergency services arrive.
Sources
https://www.20minutos.es/noticia/5042784/0/los-ahogamientos-a-mitad-de-agosto-igualan-al-total-de-2021-con-260-muertes/
