With a rise in drownings, SFD puts an emphasis on CPR
With the immediate performance of CPR, the chance of survival from a life-threatening situation can almost triple.
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – With the summer here and pools reopening, it is important to remember to stay safe around the water.
The CDC reports there are rising numbers of drowning deaths in the U.S.
CPR, which is cardiopulmonary resuscitation can be an emergency life-saving procedure.
The CDC reports nearly 5,000 people have died due to drowning in the U.S.
And with the immediate performance of CPR, the chance of survival from a life-threatening situation can almost triple.
Brady McNutt has been a lifeguard for over a year.
He said being a lifeguard can sometimes be overwhelming.
“When you have to save a kid out of the water who can’t swim and like is on the verge of drowning, it just makes you a little nervous,” McNutt said. “Because you start to sit out there and you see kids who struggle and send them over to the shallow end cause it puts you on edge so much.”
McNutt said he has to get certified for CPR every two years as a lifeguard.
Starkville Fire Chief, Charles Yarbrough said there are certain measures to take when drownings occur.
“When a person is not breathing or doesn’t have a pulse of course that person is dying and the brain is dying,” Yarbrough said. “If the brain dies the rest of the body not going to be any good so what we want to do is to make sure if a person is not breathing or doesn’t have a pulse we do CPR.”
Chief Yarbrough said training for CPR only takes a couple of hours to learn.
And you never know when a situation where CPR is needed may present itself.
“85 percent of the time what studies show is that CPR is going to be done in the home or to somebody that you know, which is even a better reason to learn CPR,” Yarbrough said. “So, it’s vital that we know it and we teach here and we can get you the contact to with somebody that can teach you how to do CPR.”
The Starkville Fire Department said you can get CPR and First Aid certified in a matter of hours and there is no age requirement to learn CPR.
