Page:Handbook for Boys.djvu/304

 struggles. The swimmer throws both hands above his head which forces both low in the water and then turns the leverage of his arms against the other's thumbs, breaking the hold easily.

It should be borne in mind that a drowning man grasps what he can see above the surface of the water, so he will not attempt to grasp his rescuer below the points of the shoulders. Remember also that a tall man and a short would have about the same amount of their body projecting above the surface of the water. Neck Grip For the grip around the swimmer's neck from the front, for both arms around the shoulde~, and for a grip in which the drowning man had the other over one shoulder and under the other snn, the break is much the same. As soon as the rescuer feels the hold, he covers the other's mouth with the palm of his hand, clasping the nostrils tightly between his first two fingers, at the same time pulling the drowning man to him with the left hand ion the small of the back, treading water in the meantime. Then, taking a full breath, he applies his knee