Francesco Pia is a former lifeguard who has become an expert on lifeguard training and drowning prevention. Here & Now’s Robin Young first talked to him in 2010 about some of the common myths about drowning, including the myth that those who are drowning call for help.
Pia said that because drowning people are suffocating and don’t have the air to call for help, “it was the rule rather than the exception that there were people surrounding the drowning person that did not realize the drowning was occurring.” He also said that “the struggle of the drowning person ranges from 20 seconds to 60 seconds.”
With summer in full swing and beaches and pools crowded, we revisit our 2010 conversation with Francesco Pia.
Guest
- Francesco “Frank” Pia, consultant and expert on lifeguard training and drowning prevention. See info on his consulting company here.
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