in the US any bystander can use defibrillator if there are no medical people there. of course one needs to know it's available first. the defibrillators are very simply. you apply two adhesive patches and the machine then says 'stand away--deliver shock' or if no shock is indicated 'continue CPR". i agree, these are life savers. However, drowning in and of itself is fatal and sometimes the best medical care fails to help the person. how very tragic--life is short.