A 59-year old man died despite CPR after a suspected drowning. The incident occurred at Port Hood Beach in Cape Breton.
Drowning incident
According to Inverness County RCMP, they received a call to the beach. A man was swimming with his wife when 2 lifeguards observed that they were having difficulty. According to Paul D’Eon, director of the Nova Scotia Lifeguard Service, there was a slight wave that would not normally concern the lifeguards but can be strong to weak swimmers.
One of the lifeguards went out to bring the man back. Initially, the man was kicking and attempting to swim but as they got near the shore, he stopped kicking. The lifeguard tried to talk to him and he was talking and at some point, not making any sense and gasping for air. It was then she realized that something is going on and then the man deteriorated.
The lifeguards believe that the man went into medical distress before he could reach the shore. The man was given oxygen and a defibrillator was also used. The lifeguards also performed CPR but the man died at the scene.
Another lifeguard reached the wife of the man and was able to bring the 64-year old woman to the shore.
Prompt delivery of CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a life-saving technique that can save lives. Prompt action with this life-saving skill improves the chances of survival during emergencies.
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For more information, check out these sources:
https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/drowning-treatment
https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-cpr/basics/art-20056600