Drowning looks different than you think.

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Drowning looks different than you think.

by Modern Mom, on Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:19am PDT

Think drowning involves screaming, gasping, and flailing? Think it's easy to

notice someone drowning? Well, you're wrong. Drowning is a silent killer.

There's no splashing, waving, or calling for help of any kind. It's not like

what you see on TV. Many people would not even notice another person drowning at

just 30 yards away. Read on for tips on how to keep yourself and those you love

safe from this silent killer whether at the beach or in your backyard pool.

The Facts About this Silent Killer

The Instinctive Drowning Response, a term coined by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is

what people instinctively do to avoid suffocation when drowning. The responses

to drowning are undramatic and surprisingly quiet. Drownings are the leading

cause of injury death for young children ages 1 to 4. Even scarier is that in a

small but significant percentage of kids' drownings, an adult will have watched

the whole process, not having a clue what was happening (Source:CDC).

Drowning Doesn't Look Like What You'd Expect

Dr. Pia, in an article entitled " It Doesn't Look Like They're Drowning " featured

in the Coast Guard's On Scene Magazine (Fall 06), describes the typical drowning

response as follows: " Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are

physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed

for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be

fulfilled before speech occurs. Drowning people's mouths alternately sink below

and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouth of a drowning person is

not above the surface of the water long enough to exhale, inhale, and call out

for help. When the drowning person's mouth is above the surface, she exhales and

inhales quickly as her mouth starts to sink below the surface of the water.

Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend

their arms laterally and press down on the water's surface. Pressing down on the

surface of the water permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they

can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe. Throughout the Instinctive

Drowning Response drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm

movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of

the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving

for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue

equipment. From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people's

bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick.

Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle

on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs. "

Signs of Drowning

Watch for these signs the next time you're swimming with your kids or others:

•Head low in the water, mouth at water level

•Head tilted back with open mouth

•Hair over forehead or eyes

•Eyes glassy, empty and unable to focus

•Eyes closed

•Hyperventilating or gasping

•Not using legs

•Body is vertical and upright

•Trying to swim in a certain direction but not making progress

•Trying to roll over on the back

Stay Aware to Save a Life

Keep your eyes open for any oddities because even when things seem ok, they may

not be. A good way to be sure is to ask your kid or the person you're swimming

with if he or she is all right. If they are rather still, do not answer or have

a blank stare, then you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them! As any

parent knows, kids make noise in the water. If they are not making noise, find

out why and get them out of the water ASAP.

Additional source: Vittone " Drowning Doesn't Look Like Drowning "

(mariovittone.com)