Stuff they teach in training needs to be backed up by real world evidence and the situation. The technique you were talking about might well work in a pool since it's deep and clear. It might work if you're rescuing people from a sinking vessel in deep water, but either way it's going to scare them. The adrenaline is what makes the victim strong.If you recall, I started out cautioning about the danger of distressed people in the water. In the video you posted, it looked like the dude who rescued the man didn't have a flotation device of any kind and apparently did fine. Seems to counter the initial point you were making about the essential need for a flotation device. In some situations, maybe it's better to not have one, like we were talking about earlier with the Spain incident. Hard to know because no one is going to put themselves in that kind of situation in order to figure out the best method.
Drowning people are dangerous, got it.
Everything depends on the situation. I wouldn't have gone in to save the girl in the OP. I would do what those Aussies did. The one with no board smiled and reached for her hand then pulled her with the current and fins.
