What procedure should be followed when swimming through flame-covered water?

When swimming through flame-covered water, the most critical aspect is ensuring your safety and preventing further injury or danger. Discarding your inherently buoyant life preserver is essential because it could become a hazard in flame-covered water. It may retain heat, potentially causing burns, or it could obstruct your swimming capability, making it difficult to navigate through flames.

Maintaining buoyancy during such a perilous situation is important, but using an inherently buoyant life preserver, which can be cumbersome and may not provide the flexibility needed to maneuver safely, could lead to complications. In contrast, opting for a different flotation method or making sure you are in control of your buoyancy in a way that doesn't expose you to additional risks is a safer course of action. Hence, discarding the inherently buoyant life preserver is necessary to ensure you can swim effectively and safely through dangerous conditions.