Drowning – Death in 3+ minutes

With the holiday season around the corner, the public must be aware of the real dangers of water.

IT TAKES A FEW SECONDS FOR A CHILD OR PERSON TO BE IN TROUBLE, WHETHER ITS A POOL, RIVER, SEA, SLIP-A-SLIDE, ETC.

Depends on how you define “drowning”.  Actual death may take 3-4 minutes, but “drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.”  If a person is in the process of drowning, that’s your rescue window.

It is vital for anyone around kids and water that Children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

DROWNING vs NEAR DROWNING…Drowning is always fatal, but near-drowning may result in survival with no long-lasting effects; survival with permanent damage, usually to the brain; or death after a 24-hour survival period. Near drowning sets into motion a collection of reactions in the body that ultimately can damage the lungs and lead to an absence of oxygen in tissues, even when individuals have been removed from the water and begun breathing either on their own or with mechanical help.

IN THE TIME IT TAKES TO… • Cross a room for a towel (10 seconds), a child in a bathtub can be submerged. • Answer the phone (2 minutes), a child can lose consciousness. • Sign for a package at the front door (4-6 minutes), a child submerged in a tub or pool can sustain permanent brain damage.

HOW MUCH WATER DOES IT TAKE TO DROWN? • Inches of water in a bathtub. • A bucket of water. • Standing water on top of a pool or spa cover. • Any amount of water that covers the mouth & nose.

DO PEOPLE ALWAYS YELL FOR HELP? • Most children do not yell for help. • Non-swimmers or exhausted swimmers are unable to call for help. • Drowning victims may be struggling under the water.

NEAR DROWNING – SURVIVAL AFTER SUBMERSION IN FLUID • For each child that drowns, it is estimated that 4 children are hospitalized for near-drowning • Nationwide, 2700 children ages 14 and under were treated in hospital emergency rooms for unintentional drowning-related incidents • As many as 20% of near drowning survivors suffer severe permanent neurological disability. • Nearly all who require CPR die or are left with severe brain injury.

AREAS OF RISK RELATED TO DROWNING • Home Pools/Spas/Ponds • Inside Homes • Natural Bodies of Water • Boating & Personal Water Crafts

APARTMENT & RESIDENTIAL POOLS • More than half of drownings among children ages 1-4 are pool related. • More than half of these drownings occur in the child’s home pool. • Most children were last seen in the home and had been missing from sight for less than 5 minutes.

INFLATABLE POOLS & POOL COVERS • Inflatable & plastic pools should always be emptied after use. • Remove steps from above ground pools. • Drain water off the top of pool covers.

DIVING BOARDS & SLIDES • Not all pools are designed with diving in mind, especially residential pools. • Most spinal cord injuries result from diving into shallow water.

SOURCE – www.gwrymca.org, www.quora.com