[chrisa]

Try to rescue from afar first - throw a life ring, or anything they can grab on to.

If you must do an in person rescue, always approach from the back. If you come from the front, they'll use you as a "ladder" and climb on you, making it impossible for you to swim.

[hluska]

Thanks for your answer - I felt sick when I read that article and realized that in some emergency situations, I'd have absolutely no idea what to do. Having a drowning person climb on me sounds like a nightmare...not as big of a nightmare as watching someone I care about drown, but still, it sounds very scary...