Readiness to Rescue: Bystander Perceptions of Their Capacity to Respond in a Drowning Emergency

Abstract

From 1980-2012, 81 persons fatally drowned in New Zealand while attempting to rescue others. Of these, most (80%) were male, and all rescue fatalities occurred in open waters. Festivalgoers (N = 415) attending a cultural event in Auckland, New Zealand took part in a water safety survey that included information on their readiness to respond in a drowning emergency. Many indicated they would jump in and rescue a victim (47%), while less than one third (30%) would get flotation to the victim. Significantly more males responded that they would jump in and attempt a rescue (males 55%, females 40%). Most (62%) estimated that they could only swim less than 100 m; 85% reported having swum that distance in a swimming pool rather than in open water where most rescues take place; and one half (50%) had last swum the distance more than one year ago. Ways of promoting safe rescue knowledge are discussed and further research directions are identified.

Parental Perceptions of Water Competence and Drowning Risk for Themselves and Their Children in an Open Water Environment

“…Although most parents (67%) in this study reported that they could swim, and many (58%) perceived their swimming ability to be good/very good, most (55%) estimated that they could only swim 25 m or less. The self-reported competency level of parents in this study was much higher than that reported in two studies of other New Zealand-based population groups where only 13% of youth (15-19 years) (Moran, 2008a), and 7% of festival goers (Moran & Stanley, 2013) estimated they could swim up to 25 m. Another international study found that 6% of tertiary students indicated they could swim 50 m or less Stallman et al, 2010) although the participants were physical education students where one would anticipate a higher proficiency level. A study of beachgoers in New Zealand (McCool et al, 2008) found that one-third self-reported they could swim less than 25 m. The estimated level of competency in this study is lower than the child population in the LIC of Bangladesh where caregivers or children reported that over half (52%) of all children aged 5-17 years could swim 25 m (Rahman et al, 2014).…”

“…These perceptions were reflected in lower swimming distance estimates. As shown in other studies (McCool et al, 2008;Moran & Stanley, 2013), New Zealand European parents were more likely to estimate being able to swim longer distances than all other ethnicities. For those who identified as Maori, a wider gap was evident between how well they thought they could swim when compared with their estimated swimming distance.…”

Rescues conducted by surfers on Australian beaches

“…Previous studies into bystander rescues have shown that without prior knowledge of how to perform a rescue or a full assessment of conditions, these rescues can lead to highly dangerous situations for both the rescuer and rescuee (Franklin and Pearn, 2011;Moran and Stanley, 2013). However, these are largely concerned with parents rescuing children or other close relations, where panic and a sense of urgency to act overrides any full assessment of hazards and their ability to perform a successful rescue (Pearn and Franklin, 2009;Franklin and Pearn, 2011;Moran and Stanley, 2013).…”

“…Furthermore, White and Hyde (2010) found that the less risk perceived by beachgoers, either due to swimming confidence or assessment of conditions, the more willing they are to bathe outside of patrolled areas. This implies that along with natural beach hazards, the beliefs and behaviour of beachgoers and bathers, both experienced and inexperienced, often do not correlate with real world risks (Short and Hogan 1994;Ballantyne et al, 2005;Sherker et al, 2010;Hatfield et al, 2012;Williamson et al, 2012;Moran and Stanley, 2013;Shaw et al, 2014;Walton, 2014).…”

“…The study of risk factors associated with bystander rescue is a fledgling area of study (Franklin et al, 2010;Franklin and Pearn, 2011;Moran and Stanley, 2013). These rescues are often impulsive acts without full assessment of the hazards and an overestimation of the rescuers own abilities, which can result in highly dangerous situations for both the rescuer and rescuee(s) (Pearn and Franklin, 2012;Moran and Stanley, 2013).…”