By way of a public service announcement, I thought I would link to this commendable piece on Slate, Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning by Mario Vittone, because it tells us that our ideas of what drowning looks like are largely wrong, and more importantly, might keep us from noticing when drowning is actually happening.
If even one person gets saved because of the mass dissemination of this information, that will be incalculably wonderful.
If even one person gets saved because of the mass dissemination of this information, that will be incalculably wonderful.
This is interesting and good to know. Thank you. Janet
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janet. Do pass it on as you can. I actually got a senior livesaving certificate--admittedly many years ago--and I didn't know all this. Although I do remember how to save someone once I do actually figure out they are drowning.
ReplyDeleteI like what the article said about television, too. The comment might apply equally well to those of us who learned from books what we think drowning looks like.
ReplyDeleteI only skimmed the article. I wonder if it mentions Baywatch.
I don't think Baywatch would really have survived dramatically if it was realistic.
ReplyDeleteI once wrote a crucial scene about a near drowning and if I ever get back to it, it will obviously have to be revised. Although actually, it was pretty close, except I don't think the two characters would have been able to make eye contact.
That article makes me want to write a drowning scene that will surpriser readers with its novelty that turns out to be realism. I'll have to write the scene soon, before everyone figures out what drowning really is like.
ReplyDeleteIt may be too late Peter, as it has become one of the most shared stories on Slate. But in the grand scheme of things, that's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteThe writer chose an excellent anecdote to illustrate the importance of knowing the real signs of drowning (assuming, of course, that the anecdote is genuine). It may take a bit of time for the knowledge to penetrate mass consciousness, though, and work its way into fiction and movies and television.
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