Are you prepared for reacting to a drowning incident?

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in the United States.

On average, 3,533 people die as a result of drowning each year, and most of those deaths are children under the age of 4 who drown in backyard swimming pools.

The tragedy of these statistics is that nearly all drowning deaths are preventable, experts say. Wearing lifejackets would reduce the number of drowning deaths substantially, which is why they are required for anyone boating or tubing on the Spokane River, for instance.

Knowing how to react to a drowning situation could help save a life, too. Following are guidelines on “How to react to a drowning incident” from the United States Swim School Association:

Throw, don’t go: A person, even a child, struggling in the water can easily cause an adult attempting a rescue to drown as well. Panic can cause a person to obstruct a rescuer from being able to swim or stay above the water. It is safer to throw a lifesaving device, towel, rope or whatever is handy to the person in the water and then tow the person to safety. River rafters and canoeists should always have throw ropes handy.

Call for help: Alert others around you that a drowning is occurring before you take action to try to save the victim. In case something goes wrong it is vitally important that other people know you may need assistance with the rescue.

Approach from behind: If you need to enter the water to save someone from drowning, it is best to approach the person from behind to lessen the likelihood of being grabbed and pulled under the water.

Wear a life jacket: If you are attempting to rescue a drowning victim in an open body of water like a river or lake, put on a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket before you enter the water and if possible secure yourself to your boat or shore with a rope. Conditions in the water will be unknown. The life jacket could save the victim’s life as well as yours.

Watch for signs of secondary drowning: Victims who survive a drowning incident can still have water in their lungs hours later. They must be monitored for signs of troubled breathing which could indicate a secondary drowning emergency. If difficult breathing is noted, immediately seek medical help and call 911.