What do i do if a weak swimmer drags me down or clings onto me in water?

Question

My friends and I go swimming, but one of them is not so confident in water. Whenever she's tired or needs to catch a breath, she grabs the closest floating thing, most of the time me, to help her stay afloat.

She can swim, but she gets scared /tired easily. She'd push me under water or grab my bikini strap and pulls it from the side. It's so scary, even though it only lasts for a few seconds, I'd feel like I'm about to drown. She doesn't do it on purpose, so it's not really her fault. She apologises everytime.

I try to stay away from her but what can I do to stop myself from getting clinged on next time? Should I hit her or something so that she can let go of me? (hopefully I'll never have to because she's very nice but weak)

Answer 1

Explain to her how dangerous to others that can be, especially if she does that when someone is inhaling.

Suggest to her that she should limit her swimming to a water depth where if she stood up, her head would be completely out of the water. If she still wants to venture in deeper water, suggest that she take along a flotation device of some kind.



As a last result, you can do something I learned in lifeguard training for rescuing panicked victims. To get her to release her grip on you, pull her hair or pinch her skin. I had to do this to my instructor during my final exam for lifeguard testing when he held me underwater. This technique made him release his grip on me.

Don't try to hit her. If you knock her unconscious, she could drown.

Answer 2

this is very common in pools or beaches more than you know. however if she grabs you even on your bikini strap do not panic its simple ,take a deep breath and simply submerge yourself and she will automatically let go as it will be her first instinct as she will not want to follow you down. Remember it is her intention to stay above the water ,i have done this so many times before and it works ,no matter how tight she grabs you if you drag yourself down she will let go so fast trust me.And you need to stop swimming beside her if she fails to stop this dangerous behavior and go get some swim lessons for herself and use a life jacket.

Answer 3

I would just tell her and give her a noodle to swim with or something so then she could grab onto that and float on it instead of you

Answer 4

tell her not 2

she will have 2 learn some time and if she stops clinging on 2 you and swims she will become a stronger swimmer by practising

Answer 5

Someone who uses you to keep afloat needs to wear a floating device. Tell her to get a jacket or a snorkel belt. This is much safer. She could drown you.

Answer 6

Buy her some water wings.

Answer 7

If you are swimming in the ocean and she does it at the wrong moment it could be life threatening.  If you hit her she could drown, shes grabbing you because shes having trouble or scared and will panic.   Dont take the chance of being responsible for what happens to her.  Even if she doest drown you can get in trouble.   Dont invite her to swim with you,  and say NO when she invites you.  Hang out with her over the winter itll be less stressful

Answer 8

pinch her really hard and then say OH SORRY I DIDNT MEANT TOO!!!!!

Answer 9

ask her to stick to the shallow end of the pool

Answer 10

If you know earlier that the one with you is a weak swimmer you can tell him/her to avoid going in deep heights for safety reason.

Answer 11

Teach her how to swim.

Answer 12

Give her a life vest,a bad swimmer can easily drown a good swimmer when they panic

Answer 13

tell her not to go somewhere in the pool were her feet can not reach the bottom. if she does it  again but it is a serious problem for you to keep your head (and hers) above water, call the lifeguard

Answer 14

If you know it's going to happen, avoid it in the first place. Don't swim with her and encourage her to either take some lessons or invest in some personal flotation device.

If you ARE swimming with her and she does grab you in a panic, don't let the "she's a pal" thing get in the way of doing whatever you have to, to stop her from taking you under. If it means hitting her, you do that if you feel your life is in danger. Even to the point of knocking her out, if it's needed. People in a panic will do anything. They aren't thinking.   Don't give her a chance to climb on you. Speak to her in a firm voice and while staying away from her, make eye contact while you speak. If she's too far gone in panic and  you can't control her in any other way, wait for her to tire and try to approach from behind, not letting her get the upper hand and only when you feel it is safe to do to pull her to shore.  I don't agree with the submerge technique mentioned earlier unless you happen to be wearing scuba gear. You're now under, where if she can find you or has hold of you, she won't let go. You're in a worse position to defend yourself now since your options are limited. You need to breathe too.

I know all that may sound hard hearted but you really do what you need to do to live. It may be her only chance too if the situation gets bad enough. It's no good there being two victims. Someone has to be in one piece to save the one in trouble even if it means smacking her hard enough to put her out if the situation warrants it.

Answer 15

help her out  with her swimming skills. and then she might become more confident in the water and stop clinging to you so much.

Answer 16

Encourage her to bring a floatation device if possible like a kickboard or noodle.  If she tries to grab you go under.  She will let go quickly because she doesn't want to go under, she is pushing you under to stay up.  This is what is taught in lifesaving ask any lifeguard.  Should she hang on, once under spin.  Staying on the surface tiring her out is going to tire you out, I am really disappointed in some of the other answers encouraging you to hit her to the point of knocking her out, then you will end up arrested and lose a friend, that is way over the top.

Answer 17

You could go down and hold your breath for a long time and if she gets scared enough she won't ever do it again.

Answer 18

either nicely ask her not to do that or swim close to the edge so that she can grasp on to the edge when she suddenly gets tired

Answer 19

I hate to say this, but I would smack her real hard, gouge at her with my nails or something and then apologize to her!  She does the same to you.  If she is so afraid of the water, she should stay out of it or at least stay in shallow water so that she can put her feet down if she starts to freak.   She could also put on a life jacket.  She could end up drowning you.....then what is she going to do, apologize?