The Four Word Safety Rhyme That Could Save Someone's Life If They're Drowning

Mnemonics are useful for lots of reasons, like this cute, three-line reminder to tie up your kayak or this easy mnemonic that could save your life if you get lost when hiking. Here's another: a short, simple rhyme that could mean the difference between life and death should the worst happen when you're near water.

These four words form a simple and memorable guide for what to do if you see someone in trouble in the water. Maybe this person is experiencing cold-water shock or exhaustion, physiological states that can even cause strong swimmers to go under. And depending on the severity of the fight-or-flight response, our instincts can make us act without thinking in these panicky moments. Tragically, due to this response, even rescuers themselves can drown when attempting to come to the aid of someone struggling in the water.

So, what can you do to stay calm and help in a bad situation without putting yourself in danger, too? Remember these four words: reach, throw, row, go. They form a helpful rhyme that tells you exactly what to do in the unfortunate case of a water emergency.

Helping effectively is as simple as following the four actions the rhyme depicts — in order. First of all, reach means that you should extend a fishing pole, branch, towel, or other object to the person in danger, if you are able. If the person is close to a boat or the shoreline, they can grab onto this object and be pulled to safety.

If this is not possible — for example, if they are too far away from you — this is when throw comes into play. Throwing is simply tossing a lifebuoy or anything else that floats to the victim so that you can then pull them toward you, onto the boat or the shore. If neither of these options is viable, you would move on to row. This means that if you have access to a boat or a floating apparatus, you should use it to row towards the person in distress, and then help them aboard the watercraft.

Only after exhausting this and every other option would you then move on to go, which means immersing yourself in the water. However, you should only enter the water if you are a very strong and confident swimmer (and if you get caught in a rip current, swim parallel to the shore). Rescuing someone from the water requires strength as well as awareness of lifesaving techniques. In an emergency, keeping a clear head can save lives. This simple rhyme gives you an easy-to-remember plan to keep both you and others safe in the water.