Rather than 'casting blame' ...
There is a technique that ya'll should be aware of - it is giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation while swimming.
It may not have made any difference - but just like 'first aid' training in Boy Scouts - it is one of those things that may save a life.
Learned the technique while a teenager, at Texas A&M, as part of their better-than-NAUI scuba certification program.
Basically - one does the side-stroke, dominant side down, with non-dominant arm across the victims chest - ie. holding them ABOVE you. You can reach the persons mouth that way, with yours, and still keep stroking with your dominant arm, and using a scissor kick to head back to shore.
It takes practice - and practice we did.
Another life-saving 'swimmers' method is called 'drown-proofing'. It used to be taught in YMCA and Red Cross 'Life Saving' schools. One can survive for HOURS in the water with minimal expenditure of energy - with no 'floatation' device. As long as hypo-thermia doesn't get ya - you are in good shape. Twelve plus hours of survival is more than achievable.
Leave it to ya'll to investigate further if this is your kind of 'thing'.
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