ing to the surface,
or he may die through heart failure from the shock or fright of entering
the water.

[Illustration: FIG. 1.--1st Release Method.]

On seeing a person struggling in the water in danger of drowning, no
time should be lost in going to his assistance, for he may sink at once,
and then there is danger of missing the body when searching under water
for it, or it may get entangled among weeds and then the rescuer's task
is rendered doubly dangerous. Before diving in to the rescue the boots
and heavy clothing should be discarded if possible, and in cases where a
leap has to be made from a height, such as a bridge, high embankment,
vessel or pier, or where the depth of the water is not known, it is best
to drop in feet first. Where weeds abound there is always danger of
entanglement, and therefore progress should be made in the direction of
the stream. When approaching a drowning man there is always the danger
of being clutched, but a swimmer who knows the right way to deal with a
man in the water can easily avoid this; but if through some mistake he
finds himself seized by the drowning person, a necessary thing for the
swimmer to do is to take advantage of his knowledge of the water and
keep uppermost, as this weakens the drowning person and makes the effort
of effecting a release much easier than would otherwise be the case. To
the Royal Life Saving Society in England is due the credit of
disseminating, throughout the entire world, the ideas of swimmers, based
on practical experience, as to the safest methods which should be
adopted for release and rescue, and their methods, as well as the
approved ones for resuscitation, are now taught in almost every school
and college.

[Illustration: FIG. 2.--2nd Release Method.]

If the rescuer be held by the wrists, he must turn both arms
simultaneously against the drowning person's thumbs, and bring his arms
at right angles to the body, thus dislocating the thumbs of the drowning
person if he does not leave go (fig. 1). If he be clutched round the
neck he must take a deep breath and lean well over the drowning person,
at the same time placing one hand in the small of his back, then raise
the other arm in line with the shoulder, and pass it over the drowning
person's arm, then pinch the nostrils close with the fingers, and at the
same time place the palm of the hand on the chin and push away with all
possible force. By the firm holding of the nose the drowning per