Not a substitute for CPR training. This card is a memory aid only. Take a hands-on infant, child, and adult CPR class (American Red Cross or American Heart Association), and always follow your 911 dispatcher's instructions in a real emergency.
✂️ Cut along the dashed lines
Drowning CPR
Breaths first · call 911
1. CHECK. Tap & shout. Unresponsive and no normal breathing? Start CPR (gasping doesn't count).
2. CALL. "You — call 911 & get the AED." Alone? Call on speaker; if you must leave a child to reach a phone, give about 2 min CPR first.
3. BREATHE. Tilt head, lift chin, give 2 rescue breaths — watch the chest rise.
4. PUMP. Push hard & fast, center of chest, 100–120/min.
5. REPEAT. 30 compressions : 2 breaths. Continue until normal breathing, trained help, exhaustion or danger; follow AED prompts.
📞 911 on speaker · use AED when it arrives
WaterWiseKids.com
Drowning CPR
Breaths first · call 911
1. CHECK. Tap & shout. Unresponsive and no normal breathing? Start CPR (gasping doesn't count).
2. CALL. "You — call 911 & get the AED." Alone? Call on speaker; if you must leave a child to reach a phone, give about 2 min CPR first.
3. BREATHE. Tilt head, lift chin, give 2 rescue breaths — watch the chest rise.
4. PUMP. Push hard & fast, center of chest, 100–120/min.
5. REPEAT. 30 compressions : 2 breaths. Continue until normal breathing, trained help, exhaustion or danger; follow AED prompts.
📞 911 on speaker · use AED when it arrives
WaterWiseKids.com
The Drowning-CPR Sequence (Once They're Out of the Water)
- CHECK for response and breathing. Tap and shout; look for normal breathing for no more than 10 seconds. If unresponsive and not breathing normally (including gasping), begin CPR.
- CALL 911 — assign it to a person. "You in the red shirt, call 911 and bring the AED." Put the phone on speaker. If you're alone with a child and have no phone, do about 2 minutes of CPR first, then call.
- Give 2 RESCUE BREATHS. Tilt the head back, lift the chin, pinch the nose (cover nose+mouth for an infant), and give 2 breaths of about 1 second each. Watch for the chest to rise.
- Start COMPRESSIONS. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest at 100–120 per minute, letting the chest come all the way back up between pushes.
- Keep the 30:2 cycle going. 30 compressions, then 2 breaths — repeat without long pauses until normal breathing returns, trained help takes over, you cannot continue, or the scene becomes unsafe. Pause for AED prompts and promptly resume.
Hands, Depth & Breaths by Age
- Adult (puberty and older): heel of two hands, center of chest, about 2 inches deep. Each breath about 1 second, enough for chest rise.
- Child (about 1 yr–puberty): one or two hands, at least one-third the chest depth, about 2 inches. Each breath about 1 second, enough for chest rise.
- Infant (under 1 yr): the heel of one hand or two thumbs with hands encircling the chest, at least one-third the chest depth, about 1.5 inches. Each breath about 1 second, only enough for chest rise.
- Ratio stays 30:2 for a single rescuer at every age. Push fast, allow full recoil, minimize pauses.
- Water or vomit in the mouth? Turn the head or roll to clear it, then continue. Don't waste time trying to "push water out" of the lungs.
After the Rescue — Even If They Seem Fine
- Get a child with breathing impairment after submersion evaluated by a medical professional, even after they recover — rarely, breathing trouble appears hours later.
- Watch for: persistent coughing, fast or labored breathing, chest pain, extreme fatigue, or unusual irritability. Seek care right away if these appear.
- Take a CPR class before you ever need it — reading a card is not the same as practicing the skill on a manikin.
- Prevention is the real plan: four-sided fences, a designated Water Watcher, life jackets, and swim lessons stop most emergencies before they start.
