Final answer:
The appropriate procedure for swimming through flame-covered water is the backstroke, as it allows you to keep your face away from the flames and control your breathing. Breathing is essential for gas exchange, but safety is the primary concern in this hazardous situation.
Step-by-step explanation:
If you must swim through flame-covered water, for safety reasons, the appropriate procedure would be to use the backstroke. This method allows you to keep your face away from the flames and potentially harmful fumes. While performing the backstroke, it is still crucial to control your breathing because breathing is the process of moving air into and out of the lungs to facilitate gas exchange. The backstroke is one of the primary swimming strokes where the swimmer is on their back, using their arms in a circular motion while kicking their legs up and down. This stroke both propels you through the water and helps prevent inhaling smoke or flames.
In contrast, during other strokes like the butterfly, breaststroke, or dog paddle, parts of the face and breathing passages could be closer to the water's surface, potentially putting the swimmer at risk of inhaling smoke or flames. Breathing control is particularly important in swimming to maintain rhythm and ensure that you do not take in water—however, in the context of flame-covered water, health and safety considerations become even more crucial, and the backstroke thus becomes the recommended method.