It is essential to call for emergency medical
services and to undertake rescue and resuscitation
immediately.23 If conscious, the person should be
brought to land, and basic life support should be
started as soon as possible.22 For a person who is
unconscious, in-water resuscitation may increase
the likelihood of a favorable outcome by a factor
of more than three, as compared with taking the
time to bring the person to land.24 However, inwater
resuscitation is possible only when attempted
by a highly trained rescuer, and it consists of
ventilation alone. Attempts at chest compression
are futile as long as the rescuer and drowning
person are in deep water, so assessment for a pulse
does not serve any purpose.24 Drowning persons
with only respiratory arrest usually respond after
a few rescue breaths. If there is no response, the
person should be assumed to be in cardiac arrest
and be taken as quickly as possible to dry land,
where effective CPR can be initiated