Stockholm Konstsim Herr, the World Champion men’s synchronized swimming team from Sweden, took part in an experiment to highlight the dangers of swimming while drunk. The amateur team, which consists of 20 men in their 40s with “regular” careers (as opposed to professional athletes), was invited to drink vodka and then perform their winning routine.
The experiment was overseen by René Tour, team doctor to the Swedish national swimming team. A warning at the beginning of the video states, “This performance was filmed in a safe and controlled environment under the supervision of lifeguards, a rescue diver and medical professionals.”
While it looks like the men are having a lot of fun during the four-hour pre-pool party, the point of the exercise was to show how dangerous it is to enter the water when impaired. We are told, “Middle-aged men under the influence of alcohol are the group most at risk of drowning” as we see how difficult it is for them to perform their routine. At least one of the synchronized swimmers needs to be rescued.
At the end of the video, we learn that 137 people drowned in Sweden in 2014; the worst number in a decade. 85% of the victims were men, most of whom had been drinking. It is a sobering, yet effective, PSA, reminding us never to drink and dive.
Do they do breathalyzers differently in Sweden? One guy blew a 0.84, which is like 10 times the legal limit. He should literally be dead nearly twice over.
mcgillrocks – different units of measure.