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T
he weather was bright and warm as my
daughter’s fifth-grade class descended upon
the water park. As a chaperone, I was looking
forward to having fun with her friends and more
than willing to get wet and serve some pizza. We had the
place to ourselves, and the kids quickly spread out to enjoy
the waterslides and pools. These 11-year-olds on the brink
of middle school were definitely ready to cut loose and relax.
Suddenly, I realized something was terribly wrong and found
myself sprinting across the deck and into the water. A lifeguard
was just coming to the surface with one of the children. No
whistle, no splash. In fact, none of the other children nearby
even realized what had happened. As it turns out, one of the
students had never been to a pool, and the family did not tell
the school she was unable to swim. On the lazy river ride,
surrounded by friends and in water only hip deep, she had
slipped beneath the surface.
I give credit to the lifeguard for her vigilance in spotting the
victim in the water, but it was what happened next that made
me realize how exceptional DAN’s emergency training is.
I assisted the lifeguard and helped assess the child in the
water. She was initially unresponsive and, as no one had seen
her go under, we didn’t know exactly what happened or how
long she had been submerged. It wasn’t clear whether she hit
her head, had a seizure or just became overwhelmed. From
my rescue training, I had learned to treat any unexplained
loss of consciousness as a potential neck injury. I mentioned
this to the head lifeguard, but he deemed such a precaution
unnecessary. Later, when the paramedics arrived, I was
relieved to see them quickly stabilize the injured girl’s head
with a cervical collar and foam blocks from the ambulance.
My DAN training was further validated when the victim
was secured to the backboard. While helping support the
backboard in the water, I pointed out that the girl’s arms were
not secured properly and the straps could suddenly loosen.
Again, the pool staff assured me that it was done “the way
they had been trained.” Afterward, when the paramedics
prepared to move the victim onto a gurney, they restrapped
her arms in the manner I had learned in my classes.
It was very clear to me the instruction I had received was
exactly what the paramedics applied in their care of the
victim. While I was frustrated that, as a chaperone, I had
a limited ability to affect the park staff’s procedures, I was
grateful to know the quality of my training was very high.
AQUARIUM DIVING
I’m a volunteer diver at the National Aquarium in Baltimore,
Md.; I completed DAN’s Diving First Aid for Professional Divers
course as part of my job as an emergency first responder there.
The DAN training and clear safety protocols are incorporated
into everyday life at the aquarium. Nearly 200 volunteer
divers, approximately 60 staff divers and most of the frontline
employees receive this specialized instruction. Knowing how to
recognize an emergency, properly use the available equipment
and work effectively as a team are essential to a successful rescue.
To keep our skills sharp, the dive teams perform drills
in the aquarium during visitor hours. This makes the drills
much more realistic and demonstrates the importance of
A Near-Fatal
Field Trip
48
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WINTER 2012
S T E P H E N F R I N K
B y S T E p h a N I E R I c h a R d S
have you put your skills into
action? Tell us about it! Email
your story to letters@dan.org.
STORY
RESEARCH, EDUCATION & MEDICINE
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S K I L L S I N A C T I O N
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