Avramidis, S., Holden, JM. y Sharp, KC. FEGUI. Revista de Salvamento Acuático y Primeros Auxilios ISSN: 1579-0347 · Año 2010 · Vol. 3 · Nº 32 · (183) Artículo en Inglés Treating a Drowning Swimmer with a Near-Death Experience Tratamiento de un nadador ahogado próximo a la muerte Avramidis, S.* Leeds Metropolitan University, UK Irish Lifesaving Foundation, Ireland Hellenic Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Greece Correspondencia autor/es Holden, J.M. *elagreece@gmail.com University of North Texas, USA Sharp, K.C. University of Washington, USA ABSTRACT Drowning swimmers have sometimes reported near-death experiences (NDEs). In this article, we review and suggest coping strategies that enable professional rescuers and lifeguards to provide more quality services to these individuals. We provide recommendations for the way that resuscitation should be performed, assuming that the casualty might be having an NDE, and for providing effective aftercare to an unconscious drowning casualty, a conscious casualty that cannot verbalize, and the recovered drowning casualty who had an NDE. Key Words: death, drowning, lifesaving, lifeguarding, resuscitation, swimming. RESUMEN Algunos nadadores comentan sus experiencias cercanas a la muerte (ECM) ante un percance en el agua. En este artícu- lo, se revisa y sugieren estrategias para actuar, que permiten a los rescatadores profesionales y socorristas, proporcionar un servicio de mayor calidad a estas personas. Ofrecemos recomendaciones para realizar la reanimación cardio-pulmonar, indicándo como se debe realizar, en el supuesto de que la víctima esté teniendo una ECM, así como proporcionar cuida- dos posteriores eficaces para una víctima inconsciente ahogamiento, una víctima consciente de que no puede verbalizar, y la recuperación de víctimas ahogamiento que tuvieron una ECM. Palabras Clave: Muerte, ahogado, salvamento, salvavidas, reanimación, la natación. INTRODUCTION Near-death experience (NDE) is a “profound psycho- logical event with transcendental and mystical ele- ments, typically occurring to individuals close to death or in situations of intense physical or emotional danger” (Greyson, 2000, pp. 315-316). Such experi- ence can occur both when individuals are objec- tively near to death and also when they simply be- lieve themselves to be (French, 2005). According to estimates, 15% of the U.S. population, 4% of the Ger- man population, and 8% of the Australian population have reported an NDE (Perera, Padmasekara, & Belanti, 2005). Furthermore, more than 30 years of re- search indicates that possibly between 10% and 30% of people who survive drowning incidents will report that they had an NDE (Greyson, 2000). The following narrative is a good example of an NDE during drowning. “I was swimming with my sisters when suddenly I found myself unable to reach the top of the water for air. I felt like I had just stepped into nothingness. I went down twice and was coming up for the third time when I managed to yell for help. Before I was pulled from the water, I saw a filmstrip of my life. It was just like being in a theatre, as I sat cross-legged and watched the things I’d done wrong to my sisters. I was not judged by the angel who showed me this. I judged and convicted myself. The angel hovered in mid-air, to the upper left of the screen. I remember thinking that I was leaving my family and sisters and started to feel sorrow. The sor- row left immediately and I felt as if I’d been assured they would be fine. Then, there was such a feeling of bliss that it’s indescribable. Since then, I have had a lifetime of unexplained happenings. My entire out- look is different from the norm. I see with my heart and I know things” (Atwater & Morgan, 2000, pp. 33- 34). Despite public recognition of NDEs that began with the publication of the book Life after Life (Moody, 1975), most people in the water safety industry are unaware that a drowning incident might not be as traumatic as has been believed. Most reported NDEs have been dominated by pleasurable feelings such