If you were in the middle of the swim

[taffy]

Leg of a triathlon and you heard another swimmer yelling help, what would you do? Keeping in mind there were lifeguards and kayakers all around.

[joenali]

Omg! I would stop and help! Same as if I had seen someone crash on their bike. I would hope someone would do the same for me.

[starryfish]

If I was close, I would go help. I am not competitive enough to place (unless I race Athena), so at this point, their life is more important than my time.

BUT if a lifeguard/kayaker was closer/got there first, than I would proceed with my swim.

[joenali]

I used to be a lifeguard and I would definitely push aside my selfishness to help someone. I don't think I could carry on knowing someone is hurt or in trouble.

[kams]

I would stop and help as well. I wouldn't be able to enjoy the event if I knew someone needed my help and I raced by them. One day that might be me.

Also, I don't think it would ruin your race by stopping to help. There is usually so much course support, that you'd be shooed away before long anyway (unless you were a med professional, maybe).

[taffy]

This was brought up with some of my tri friends... Was just getting other opinions. I think I would be more comfortable stopping and getting the attention of a lifeguard rather than attempting to help on my own.

[joenali]

Jun 19, 2012 10:12:37 GMT -5 taffy said:

This was brought up with some of my tri friends... Was just getting other opinions. I think I would be more comfortable stopping and getting the attention of a lifeguard rather than attempting to help on my own.

I think that is how I would help. Stop get the attention of a lifeguard and stay with the person until help arrives.

[agrippa]

I would try to find help for the person. I have tried (not in an emergency, just out of curiosity) to help buoy or carry my DH in the water before and I cannot do it. I always sink, even though he weighs less than me. I am not sure that I could help anyone that weighs much more than my DS in water that I can't touch bottom.

[coconutbug]

I would stop to get the attention of a lifeguard and wait until I knew the person was being cared for by the lifeguard. I don't think I'd be able to race knowing that someone might be hurt and that I could have helped. I would certainly hope someone would stop to help me if I got into trouble on the swim!

[katandkevin]

I would stop and try to get the attention of a lifeguard, but I would not try to rescue them. I don't know how to help someone who is drowning and I fear they would cause me to lose control o f myself in the water.

[taffy]

Jun 19, 2012 10:57:48 GMT -5 katandkevin said:

I would stop and try to get the attention of a lifeguard, but I would not try to rescue them. I don't know how to help someone who is drowning and I fear they would cause me to lose control o f myself in the water.

This would be my concern as well.

[worthyfox]

I'm a trained lifeguard (I keep up with it because I find it enjoyable, not for an actual job) so I would stop and help. Although obviously it's better for an actual lifeguard to do it because they hopefully have rescue equipment with them.

[clseale]

I would definitely stop long enough to make sure they were being helped. There's no way I could could continue without knowing that they were ok.

I stopped at mile 15 during one of my marathons to help an older gentleman that tripped over one of the reflectors in the road. Luckily he was ok, but his hands and knees were scraped and a little bloody. I helped him up and asked if he needed to go to a medical tent (he declined.) I talked to him for a few minutes to make sure he was ok to continue before I took off. I would hope someone would do the same for me. In the end, basic care and concern are worth the few minutes I lost.

[Deleted]

Keeping in mind that I can barely swim well enough to keep myself alive let alone help someone else, I would do what I could until the professionals reached them then continue with my race.

[aweilba]

Well, as someone who used to be a lifeguard and is currently a swim coach, I would totally help. It would almost be second nature for me, I think, especially if I could get there before a lifeguard.

[mayflowers22]

I would stop and help but I probably couldn't carry them in the water. I would try to get the lifeguards' attention.

[SusanBAnthony]

I would make sure someone was helping them, but even as a former lifeguard, no way would I try to do anything in deep water without proper equipment. If it was shallow water and they were just panicking, that is a different story.

[gumi]

I guess it depends on the rest of the question - stop to do what? Stop to alert a lifeguard? Absolutely. Stop to perform a rescue? I wouldnt know what to do. If there were no lifeguards, of course my reaction would be to save a life...but in their presence, my reaction would be to yell, "Hey, someone needs help!" and then be on my way.

[gumi]

I am curious, did this happen?

When I got sick during my duathlon, it was very obvious that I was not okay. But the last thing I wanted was for another athlete to stop their race - that wouldnt have helped me at all. Even when my friend saw me, I told her to go on because what could she do?

[trigal]

I would make sure that the person was being helped by a lifeguard before continuing my race.

[joenali]

We are such good atheletes. I think it's really selfish to go about your race and not help someone you have seen visibly hurt or in trouble. Didn't Chrissie Wellington stop to help someone who got a flat tire in a race that she was expected to win?? (I could be getting the story wrong)

[cgpm]

This happened in my very first tri. When I heard the person, I looked around to try and find them, but there were way too many people to see who it was. The lifegaurds were moving in so I kept going to let them do my job. I felt really guilty about it, but the person wasn't right next to me, in which case I would have stopped and stayed with them.
When I see bikers stopped, I always holler and ask if they are ok and would stop if they said they weren't.

[malibu]

I would help. No race is as important as someone's life.

[vccake]

stop and look for a lifeguard. Drowning persons can take you down with them -- understandably...so my first instinct would be to find someone who knows how to help first. I'm always last in a race so what could I be if I delayed? super duper last???

[vccake]

I had people stop and help my friend on a hike who got sick due to food poisoning. I hiked ahead to get to a phone (no cell phones -- yes...I'm old). There were strangers helping her out of the woods in the pitch dark. I was seriously amazed.

[statlerwaldorf]

I would stop and get the attention of a lifeguard. I am not a strong enough swimmer to be of much help and I've read that a panicked swimmer could bring down an untrained swimmer with them.

[starryfish]

Jun 19, 2012 19:51:53 GMT -5 joenali said:

We are such good atheletes. I think it's really selfish to go about your race and not help someone you have seen visibly hurt or in trouble. Didn't Chrissie Wellington stop to help someone who got a flat tire in a race that she was expected to win?? (I could be getting the story wrong)

Not sure if you are talking about the same race, but when she was racing Ironman Kona, she got a flat tire and didnt have any cartridges with her. She was begging people that passed for one, someone finally heard and threw her one. She ended up still winning

[joenali]

Here is another question: why are people swimming in a triathlon when they aren't strong swimmers to begin with? I'm not talking about being slow, I'm talking about weak swimmers.

[gumi]

Jun 20, 2012 10:07:43 GMT -5 joenali said:

Here is another question: why are people swimming in a triathlon when they aren't strong swimmers to begin with? I'm not talking about being slow, I'm talking about weak swimmers.

I know, its kinda weird. I am always crashing into men who start 2-3 waves before me because they are floating on their backs. I dont do long races, it seems for short races you shouldnt need to float on your back. But to each their own, i suppose.

[joenali]

Jun 20, 2012 10:19:53 GMT -5 @esquirefish said:

Jun 20, 2012 10:07:43 GMT -5 joenali said:

Here is another question: why are people swimming in a triathlon when they aren't strong swimmers to begin with? I'm not talking about being slow, I'm talking about weak swimmers.

People can get injured no matter how well-trained they are -- I have been swimming for years, since middle school, and was a recruited college athlete. I once had an asthma attack in the water and had to be rescued. It can happen to anyone. I have seen people get horrible cramps that make them unable to stay afloat easily, sudden breathing problems, other medical emergencies, which mean that all the strength and training in the world just won't matter.

thats not what I'm talking about. I'm talk about weak, underprepared swimmers.