Interesting article: Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning by M. Vittone. Though I swim, dive, and sail, I never knew this. Guess I can add this bit of knowledge to my preparation.


Da Bing

Thanks for posting this. Good article, especially appropriate as we approach summer.

We nearly lost a kid at a b-day party last year because of exactly this. it's silent.

We nearly lost a kid at a b-day party last year because of exactly this. It's silent. It's easy not to notice. Almost happened to DS at a party once. Took him 3 years to have enough confidence to enjoy the water agsin and I'm not fully over it yet. Now, when I'm responsible for kids - any kids - someone I trust is ALWAYS on dry land with sharp eyes on the water at all times. Same goes for grown non-swimmers.

I never knew that, thanks.

Wow, thanks for the superb information. It could save some lives.

There's also the delayed drowning, which can kill up to several hours after the victim has reached dry land.

Which is technically near drowning that is left untreated or the treatment is unsuccessful.

From wikipedia (dry drowning, as it's also called):
"When water or other foreign bodies are inhaled, laryngospasm occurs and the person's larynx spasms shut. As a result, the vacuum created by the diaphragm cannot be filled by the inrush of air into the lungs, and the vacuum persists. In an attempt to force air in through the spasmed larynx, the person may breathe deeper and with more effort, but this only increases the vacuum's force inside the chest. The obstruction to the inflow of oxygen causes hypoxia, and the obstruction to the outflow of carbon dioxide causes acidosis, both resulting in death.[1]

In addition, a multifactorial form of pulmonary edema is produced. The heart continues to beat normally during this time, and blood continues to circulate, though pulmonary oxygen and carbon dioxide gas exchange is markedly reduced. The volume of blood in the pulmonary circulation increases, by pulling in more blood from the abdomen, head, arms and legs; abnormally large volumes of this blood enter the pulmonary circulation via the superior and inferior vena cavae (great veins) in response to the persistent partial vacuum. From the vena cavae, the increased blood volume flows through the right atrium and into the right ventricle. The blood volume is great enough to stretch out the ventricle, similar to water entering a balloon."

-jh

also , on the river, if they're floating downstream, they're probably in trouble, so call out for a response


FWIW, maybe I'm misremembering the Baywatch, but the drownings on that show looked real according to this article. Well, except for the obvious "oh save me sexy lifeguard, save me"

Just responded Monday to a drowning. Recovered the body Tuesday.
FNP Story - Drowning

Pete

Almost all my friends have pools. When we have party's w/ the kids present we hire one of the teens to lifeguard. Paying w/ a tip jar. It's a serious job. No playing. Just watching