The Lifesaving Foundation Collection: YouTube

Overview of how humans respond to life-threatening situations.

'I'm Here Too' is a short film aimed at teen suicide prevention. Before watching please be warned this film comes with a trigger warning.

This graphic video shows two firefighters drown and 5 who almost drown during a recovery operation of a lifejacket seen floating in the hydraulic of a low head dam. This video is provided as a service by Lifesaving Resources (www.lifesaving.com) to educate First Responders about the hazards and risks associated with moving water and low head dams. Lifesaving Resources encourages all First Responders to be trained in Water Rescue and Ice Rescue.

Body of drowning victim recovered in Russian River

According to the World Health Organization drowning is a serious and neglected public health threat claiming the lives of 372 000 people a year worldwide; 40 people every hour of every day. Although this death toll is almost two thirds that of the gobal burden of malnutrition and well over half of malaria there are no broad prevention efforts and water safety education that target drowning. Whether it is small children slipping unnoticed into a pond, pool or well; adolescents swimming under the influence of alcohol or drugs; passengers on vessels that capsize; or residents of coastal communities struck by floods, the daily toll of this leading global killer continues its quiet rise.

The technical abilities that have enabled us to inhabit the rest of the planet have only made us very dependent on them, they have also limited the extent of our physiological adaptation. This creates problems; when things go wrong we often have to fall back on our primitive, unevolved, physiological defenses. The consequences of their limitations include hypoxia, drowning, hypothermia, cold injury, hyperthermia and barotrauma. In his lecture, Prof Tipton will discuss some of these threats.

How to escape quicksand at Mont Saint Michel in France

The average temperature of British and Irish coastal waters is 12- 15ºC, cold enough to cause cold water shock. Professor Mike Tipton, leading expert in cold water survival at the University of Portsmouth, talks about what you should do if you find yourself unexpectedly in cold water.

A pregnant mother of 3 drives directly into the Atlantic ocean as one child dangles out of the window yelling "help us." Bystanders who rushed to save three kids from the sinking minivan detail the harrowing moments.

Jonathon Webber discussing WaterSafe Auckland's 4Rs of Bystander Rescue with Sam Kelway on the TVNZ Breakfast show.

Professor Mike Tipton from the University of Portsmouth gave a presentation to SLSNZ members on the Science of Beach Lifeguarding on June 23 at Auckland University. The presentation covered beach lifeguard fitness standards, IRB and RWC strength standards, eyesight standards, surveillance techniques and lifeguard swimming performance in surf.

Your body is built to withstand extreme conditions, but what happens to your body when you begin to drown?