Deep Dive: An Interview with Drasko Bogdanovic and Dr. Justin Sempsrott

Episode Notes
Inside the Roundup: Drasko Bogdanovic and Dr. Justin Sempsrott on the Critical Minutes That Save Lives — “Micro Delays Matter”

This episode of Deep Dive Into Water Safety focused on what happens in the first minutes after a drowning rescue and why those moments can determine survival long before someone reaches a hospital.

Returning guests Drasko Bogdanovic and Dr. Justin Sempsrott discussed the San Luis Obispo “Roundup,” a large scale rescue training event that brought together more than 250 first responders, including lifeguards, EMS, firefighters, and rescue personnel from Costa Rica, Mexico, and New Zealand.

The goal was not classroom learning. It was stress exposure and muscle memory.

Responders trained in cold, wind, wet gear, helicopter wash, long carries, radio coordination, and the confusion that follows a real rescue. The training centered around something Dr. Sempsrott often says in drowning response: “micro delays matter.”

A major part of the discussion focused on how drowning differs from many other cardiac arrest situations. Dr. Sempsrott explained why oxygenation and ventilations are critical in drowning cases, especially pediatric hypoxic arrests, and why actions taken by lifeguards and bystanders can shape outcomes before EMS even arrives. He also reinforced the importance of CPR for parents and the public that includes both breaths and compressions in drowning emergencies. Hawaiʻi’s drowning standing orders currently list oxygen as the first intervention.

The conversation also focused on the role of lifeguards within emergency response systems. Drasko Bogdanovic and Dr. Sempsrott argued that lifeguards routinely perform advanced airway and resuscitation skills in uncontrolled environments, yet are often overlooked in funding, planning, and emergency response discussions.

The conversation also turned to larger problems in drowning prevention, including inconsistent data collection, underreporting of nonfatal drownings, and the difficulty of tracking long term outcomes after rescue. Prevention remained a constant theme throughout the episode, including public education, supervision, CPR training, engineering solutions, and stronger coordination between agencies.

The episode ended with discussion about how to keep building these programs, including expanding simulation training, strengthening partnerships with organizations including the CDC and the International Drowning Research Alliance (IDRA), and creating lifeguard centered programs that can grow internationally while still addressing local community needs. Drasko Bogdanovic also discussed the Lifeguard Project and the idea of “lifeguards for life,” emphasizing continued collaboration, training, and support for rescuers long after certification.**

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