Hydropower

HYDROPOWER SCIENCE AND SAFETY learn 9 If you are swept off your feet or trapped in rising waters: • Stay calmand try to control your breathing; do not gasp, or you could swallowwater. • Keep your head above thewater. • Call loudly for help. • Remove your shoes and drop any items that couldweigh you down. • If you are near a boat, staywith it. Hold onto the boat if you can. • If you are in awaterway, get to the side and cling to a ledge, crack, or lowbranch until help arrives. If you cannot find a ledge, crack, or lowbranch to hold onto, reach for the branches of an overhanging tree. If you cannot get to the side, stay calmand take the following steps: – Float downstreamon your back. – Keep your feet up and pointed downstream to avoid hitting rocks. – Move diagonally across the current until you reach shore, then roll onto dry land. If you witness someone else in a water emergency: • Call loudly for help. DoNOT enter thewater to try and rescue them. • Tell the person to try to get to the side and hold on until help arrives. • If you have a cell phone, call 911. Youwill be asked the following questions: 1. What is your emergency? 2. Is the victim conscious or do they appear not to be breathing? 3. What is happening now? 4. What is your location? 5. What phone number are you calling from? • Staywhere you are until help arrives. If a pet falls into swift-moving water: DoNOT try to rescue it. You could put yourself in serious danger. Instead, shout for help, call 911, and staywhere you are until help arrives. ACTIVITY: Practice Getting Help With a partner, act out a water emergency in front of your class. One person plays the role of the victim; the other person plays the role of the witness. Victim: Act out all the steps you should take if you fall into swift-moving water. Be sure to include calling out for help. Witness: Act out how you would help the victim. Be sure to include calling 911 and answering the five questions listed above. IMPORTANT: Do NOT get into water to act this out! ! water emergency!