It only takes seconds to die in water.
Unfortunately, most of us underestimate the power of water. It can provide you with the life force you need to stay alive, power entire cities, but also kill you in seconds flat. Each year, about 236, 000 people drown across the world, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Experts say this number could be vastly underestimated. Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury, and children, men, and people with easy access to water are the most at risk.
How fast can it happen? Here’s a look.
Very fast
In the US, about 4,000 people die each year from drowning. According to StopDrowningNow.com, it can happen in as little as 20 to 60 seconds. It’s key to know that someone who is drowning doesn’t usually put on the show they do in the movies. You won’t see someone’s arms flailing about, or hear them screaming for help.
Someone who is doing this is certainly calling for help, but they are not yet actively drowning.
A person who is drowning makes no noise. Their head is often bobbing up and down on the water line. The trouble is they do not have enough time to exhale and inhale when their head finally IS above water.
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In many cases their head can be tilted back with hair in the eyes or on their forehead, and their eyes are unfocused or closed as they are actually losing consciousness.
The drowning person’s body is often vertical (up and down like standing) in the water. They don’t use their legs. A person in this situation can’t raise their hand to wave for help. People on the shore or land need to be vigilant enough to notice the person is in distress if they are to get any help.
Scarily enough, all of this struggling only happens for about twenty to sixty seconds before the victim falls permanently under the water and drowns. They suffocate.
Drowning is the #1 Cause of Death in Children
With the right attention and a life jacket, drowning is entirely preventable. If you cannot be holding your child in the water and they cannot swim, they need to have a life jacket on. According to the CDC, more children ages 1 to 4 drown than die from anything else including car accidents. Birth defects are the only other major cause of death for young children.
Astoundingly, for every child that dies drowning in the country, eight others need emergency hospital help because they almost died in the water. These children experienced what is known as ‘non-fatal drowning’. Water gets in their lungs and serious brain damage can happen, among other long-term disabilities.
Protect those you love by enrolling them in swimming lessons. Always watch children as they swim. Wear life jackets. Stay out of water that’s unsafe for swimming, such as that with a strong current. While you can drown in any body of water, most children drown in swimming pools. Put a fence around your pool to keep non-swimmers out when no one is watching.
Stay safe and enjoy the water.
photo credits:mat N jujulicious/Shutterstock.com
