Sudden weight gain is not a common sign of heat-related illness in swimmers. When the body overheats, you typically see dizziness from dehydration, muscle cramps from electrolyte imbalance, and heavy sweating as the body tries to cool itself. Weight loss from fluid loss is more typical than weight gain, so a rapid increase in weight doesn’t fit with heat-related issues. If signs show up, get the swimmer out of the heat, into a cooler spot, and hydrate; seek help if symptoms worsen or don’t improve.

The main idea is to quickly determine if the person can respond, because that guides whether you call for help and start life-saving care right away. Start by shouting for a response and giving a gentle tap to see if they wake or react. If there’s no response, you move directly into Basic Life Support—activate the emergency response system (or have someone do it) and begin CPR with chest compressions and rescue breaths as you’re trained. This order matters because you don’t know if they’re conscious; confirming unresponsiveness before starting CPR ensures you don’t delay help or waste time on actions the person may not need. Shouting and leaving the scene would miss this critical quick check and delay lifesaving steps. In drowning, early CPR is crucial, since restoring circulation and breathing promptly greatly improves chances of survival.

When someone is at risk of vomiting, turning them onto their side (the recovery position) lets fluids drain away from the mouth. Gravity helps discharge saliva or vomit and keeps it from pooling in the airway, which reduces the chance of aspiration and airway obstruction in an unconscious person. After a seizure, the recovery position can still protect the airway, but the main reason it’s used here is to facilitate drainage when vomiting is involved, not for cases with airway obstruction without vomiting or when the person is conscious.

The main idea here is that ventilation should be verified and initiated before you move on to checking circulation. After you’ve activated the emergency plan and seen a spontaneous breath, you still need to establish effective ventilation right away. Giving two rescue breaths helps ensure the airway is open and air is actually entering the lungs, which confirms that oxygen is being delivered even as you prepare to assess the person’s circulation. If the chest doesn’t rise with those breaths, you would reposition the airway and try again. Once you’ve delivered those breaths and confirmed ventilation, you can proceed to assess the pulse and breathing to decide the next steps.