The event of a person drowning can be complicated if an untrained person attempts to rescue the Primary Drowning Victim (PDV). This can result in the death of the 鈥渞escuer鈥?as well as the PDV, which then becomes an MDI. This study categorizes these MDI incidents by examining online news media accounts in Turkey from 2005 through 2008.
In this 4-year period, 88 鈥渞escuer鈥?drowning incidents occurred in which 114 鈥渞escuers鈥?and 60 PDVs died from drowning in MDIs; 114 drowned 鈥渞escuers鈥?rescued 47 PDVs before they died from drowning. Most of the 鈥渞escuers鈥?were male and 42.1%of them were under the age of 18. Most of the drowning incidents (68.5%) occurred in fresh water (lakes/dams/water holes and rivers/creeks/streams).
In this study, risk factors for drowning deaths include gender and entering in unguarded open water. An increased awareness of such risks as well as promotion of both swimming and rescue skills in water could help reduce MDIs. Parents who live close to fresh water sources with boys under the age of 18 years should be more aware of drowning risk because of their higher rates of deaths from drowning.
The results of this study give the chance to policy makers and all other related people or organizations to see the whole picture of deaths by drowning and the results can be used to build up preventative strategies as swimming teaching and life guard education.