I love islands. So it was great when our company did five days on Tioman Island.

Islaand mon, islaand

The island is duty-free, and i scored a bottle of vodka (Stoli Chocolate Raspberry) and two rums (Captain Morgan Black, and Mr Boston (West Indies) for a total of bout 100 bucks!

While i was chillin in the pool bar enjoying the cold and the heat, some of the guys went snorkeling out in shallow water, about 4-5 ft. Unfortunately, one of the boys drowned.

He was 22.

Obviously we were devastated, and the tough part was informing his folks. Some of them followed his body back to the mainland dat night on a speedboat arranged by the resort.

It’s unknown what caused the drowning, as he could swim, and the water was shallow, and everyone was around him. The experienced guys administered CPR for 30 minutes, but it didnt work, as he must have been under a long time before anyone noticed. His mask was still on, but his face was purple.

It’s crucial to know sumtin so basic like CPR. Everyone should know it. You never know who among your family or friends might need it someday.

I learnt it during my training with Mercy Malaysia. But you can ‘train’ yourself by at least watching a video.

Here’s a 2-minute lesson:

Note that CPR must not be performed on someone who’s breathing normally, or you could fuck shit up. Also, latest research shows that the mouth part is not really necessary.

Most people dont notice people drowning very close to them. For one thing, they cant wave or call for help. Read this article to understand why. The movie-type drownings are full of shit. Here are some signs:

• Head low in the water, mouth at water level
• Head tilted back with mouth open
• Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
• Eyes closed
• Hair over forehead or eyes
• Not using legs—vertical
• Hyperventilating or gasping
• Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
• Trying to roll over on the back
• Appear to be climbing an invisible ladder

The other thing that everyone has to know is how to help someone’s who’s choking. It’s not difficult (the Heimlich maneuver) and you can watch this short video to learn more:

My brother wouldn’t be alive today thanks to some chicken bone, if not for his buddy who performed the above maneuver to save him, as he was already blue.

Learn up.