If you thought you could hear if a loved one was drowning, you would be sorely mistaken. The reality is that someone could be drowning a few feet away from you and you wouldn't know it – because drowning is often silent.
While distress and panic may sometimes take place beforehand, drowning itself is quick and often silent. A person close to the point of drowning is unable to keep their mouth above water long enough to breathe properly and is unable to shout.
Not only will a drowning victim have lost their buoyancy in the process along with all of their reserve of oxygen, but Foss points out that means a child would have no air in their lungs to yell. That makes drowning a mostly silent event.
“They're silent and struggling just to keep their nose and mouth above the water," says Steinman. "Their arms are outstretched, trying to keep themselves up out of the water. It's a very quiet, desperate posture." This silent, almost calm behavior is called the instinctive drowning response.
When the body is unable to get enough air, it will shut down a person's ability to speak or shout. The top priority is breathing, not talking. Drowning victims are also unable to control their arm movements.
No panic, no pain, no regrets, worries etc., the most pleasant experience I've ever had. That peaceful feeling is all part of the euphoria most people feel before death. If you die drowning, I would say it's one of the more peaceful ways to go.
“When people are drowning, all of their energy is going into trying to breathe and staying above water,” says Shelley Dalke, Director, Swimming and Water Safety Programs for the Canadian Red Cross. “They are not yelling for help or waving their hands around. Drowning is often very silent.”
Fact: Despite what you may have seen in movies, in real life drowning is silent and can happen quickly. This is a particularly dangerous myth when it comes to young children. They can't figure out what to do, such as right themselves or stand up, even in a few inches of water.
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The events that result in drowning can be divided into the following sequence: (i) struggle to keep the airway clear of the water, (ii) initial submersion and breath-holding, (iii) aspiration of water, (iv) unconsciousness, (v) cardio-respiratory arrest and (vi) death – inability to revive.
Children. Children ages 1–4 have the highest drowning rates. Most drownings in children 1–4 happen in swimming pools. Drowning can happen even when children are not expected to be near water, such as when they gain unsupervised access to pools.
Because they are struggling to breathe, they can't shout or speak. Unless rescued, a drowning person will last only 20 to 60 seconds before going under.
90% of drowning cases occur in freshwaters such as rivers and pools. Drowning in fresh water and entering a large amount of pool or river water into the lungs and stomach is much more dangerous than swallowing a lot of sea water.
Without breathing: 22 minutes. The longest any human being ever went without breathing took place in 2012, when Danish freediver Stig Severinsen held his breath underwater for 22 minutes. Without oxygen, the human brain will die after about four minutes.
Within 3 minutes underwater, most people lose consciousness. Within 5 minutes underwater, the brain's oxygen supply begins to drop. A lack of oxygen can cause brain damage.
During a drowning event, a person loses consciousness and stops breathing, depriving the brain of the oxygenated blood it needs. As a result, brain cells die. Anoxic brain damage is inevitable once the brain goes too long without oxygen.
In near drowning accidents, a victim may suffer memory loss and have poor judgment and motor coordination. If the oxygen has been cut off for more than 5 minutes, the brain's neurons begin to die and coma or even death may result.
Watch for these signs of drowning: Head low in the water with mouth at water level. Head tilted back with mouth open. Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus.
Delayed symptoms of drowning include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, coughing and/or chest discomfort. Extreme fatigue, irritability and behavior changes are also possible. Remain vigilant for about 24 hours, even if your child appears happy and playful with no apparent problem at all.
Thalassophobia is a special type of fear that is a constant and intense fear of deep water such as the ocean or sea. The aim of this study was to identify the fear of drowning (thalassophobia) and its coping strategies in nurses working in public hospitals in the east of Guilan province in 2021.
Saving someone who is drowning is more difficult and dangerous than many people think (heck, even realizing someone is drowning is hard — the signs don't look like you think they would.) A person who's drowning can be panicked and clutch, kick, and grab at you as you try to rescue them, dragging you both underwater.
With underwater breath-holding, fainting can occur within two minutes – which can lead to brain damage due to lack of oxygen to the brain or death. Compared to a drowning scenario that does not involve breath holding, there are about six to eight minutes to rescue the victim before severe brain damage occurs.
Lean your head back so that you are looking up at the sky. Let your body relax. Your legs will probably sink down a bit, but as long as your torso is floating and your head is above the water, you will be fine. Breathe nearly normally.