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| The Activity of Mahasiswa Relawan Siaga Bencana (Maharesigana) UMM at The River. (Photo: Istimewah) |
The disappearance of Ridwan Kamil's eldest son, Emmeril Kahn Mumtadz, while swimming in the Aare River, Switzerland, has become a hot topic of discussion in recent days. In Indonesia itself, cases of people being washed away or missing in rivers are not the first time this has happened. As a tropical country, Indonesia has many rivers, lakes, and waterfalls commonly used for swimming. Therefore, cases of drowning or drifting in rivers sometimes occur.
To anticipate the accident, the Head of Student Disaster Preparedness Volunteer (Maharesigana) University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM), Rindya Fery Indrawan, explained the phenomenon. Several things cause a person to drift or drown when swimming in a river.
"People do not know well the characteristics of the river where they will swim. Some rivers have calm, light, and swift currents. There is also a calm river above, even though there is a fairly swift current below. Recognizing the characteristics of rivers will make us more careful when swimming and can minimize drowning and drifting cases," he explained.
Fery added that before swimming, it is essential to warm up. It helps reduce the risk of cramps when swimming in the river. "It's also important to know your capacity to swim, so you don't drift away or drown," said Fery.
On the other hand, one of the security teams and UMM volunteers, Isnien Hadinata Gatot Putra, explained that several steps could be taken when you know someone has drowned or drifted away. The first is to seek help by calling the Search and Rescue (SAR) team, firefighters, and residents. The second is to identify the victim in a conscious or unconscious condition.
If the victim is conscious, look for objects around that can reach the victim, such as wooden poles, ropes, or other floating things that can be thrown at the victim. Then try to bring the victim to the river bank. If successful, immediately take the victim to the nearest health center or hospital.
"For unconscious victims, the treatment is different. Some things that can be done to help besides seeking help are swimming directly or using a boat. But keep in mind that direct assistance must be balanced with adequate safety equipment such as buoys. After successfully bringing the victim to the riverbank, check the victim's consciousness, breathing, and pulse. Then immediately take the victim to the nearest hospital," said the man who won the Water Rescue Potential certificate.
In addition to taking steps to save victims from drowning and drowning, Isnien gives some suggestions for someone who accidentally drifts into the river. First, try to keep yourself calm and not panic. Next, position your head above the surface of the water. "The next step is to try to grab anything around the river to float. After that, swim to the shore as much as possible. It is recommended not to go against the current because it can drain energy," concluded the Trenggana Malang SAR volunteer. (cdr/syi/wil)
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