Upon seeing someone drowning, shout for help and call 110/120, then reach out a pole or floating objects — never enter the water yourself

A drowning person instinctively pulls their rescuer underwater, so anyone who enters the water risks drowning too. The proper sequence is: shout for help → call emergency services → extend a long pole or rope → throw life rings, empty buckets, or plastic bottles → if the victim is on shore and not breathing, start CPR immediately. Never form a human chain by holding hands and entering the water. Globally, roughly 300,000 people drown each year; this ranks as the fourth leading cause of death among children aged 1–4.

Cost

No cost involved. The hard part is resisting the urge to jump in.

Benefit

WHO reports that about 300,000 drownings occur worldwide each year, with 92% occurring in low- and middle-income countries. Drowning is the fourth leading cause of death for kids aged 1–4 and the third leading cause for those aged 5–14. WHO recommends “safe rescue and resuscitation training” — essentially learning how to help without entering the water. The recommended steps are identical: shout for help → call emergency services → reach out poles or ropes, toss life rings, empty buckets, or bottles → if the victim is out of water and not breathing, perform CPR right away.

Notes

Grade C is assigned because no official source explicitly states the “do not enter the water” rule; we only have WHO’s global death statistics and the broader principle of “safe rescue.” Never form a human chain by holding hands and jumping in. Untrained individuals should not attempt to pull a drowning person out, as the victim will instinctively pull them underwater. This “stay out of water” rule also serves self-preservation — anyone who enters the water risks drowning, regardless of who the victim is. Most cases involve a child, so prevention is covered in Section 1, Item 12: keep children under constant supervision near water. If someone falls through ice, do not run onto the ice to pull them; prevention is in Section 1, item 41 (measure outdoor ice thickness first).

Sources · 1

1. WHO. 溺水 实况报道. who.int/zh/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/drowning