Drowning is defined as the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid. The water entering in the lungs leads to difficulty in breathing and might lead one (victim) to death.
It is basically a death caused by suffocation when water and other liquids fill in the lungs.
Causes for drowning:
Easy access to water
Floods
Travelling on water (boat)
Children left unsupervised in the pool, or beside water
Not knowing how to swim
Improper jumping, slips and falls
Alcohol/ Drug use before jumping into the water.
Medical conditions such as seizures
Panic attacks in water, anxiety related to water
Improper safety measures during water rides
Suicide
Drowning victims types:
How to save someone from drowning ?
Shout for help, Immediately call 911 (ambulance)
Look for any danger before trying to help the drowning person. There are 3 situations from which you can help:
Reach:
Swimming pool: If someone is drowning in a swimming pool First see if you can reach them with some pole or anything that comes handy. Do not go directly into the pool, you might drop yourself in danger.
Lake, Sea, River: If someone is drowning in lakes or sea, first check out if there’s any kind of boat, motor to reach them. Do not jump into water voluntarily.
Throw:
If you can’t reach to them with any objects or motor
Then throw them floatation aid which is kept nearby. (Life jacket, Any equipment which can float on water)
Row:
If a victim is too far away and you cannot throw anything to them. Then immediately find a rope, throw the rope at them, ask for help. You alone may cannot pull the victim, once the victim catches the rope, pull it with the highest strength.
Make sure you tie the rope to a strong object like a tree or car.
Go:
If you can’t do any of the above steps then you have to jump in the water ONLY IF YOU KNOW HOW TO SWIM.
Take a flotation aid with you (lifejacket) you have to swim towards the victim.
Tow them back using the floatation aid, do not make them touch you. Drag them out of the water[1]
Note: If a victim is drowning and you jump to help them There’s a chance that they might drag you too into the water. Since they are panicking they will pick up the first thing they see. So if you directly go they will jump on you. To avoid this make sure that you should take a pole between you and the victim. So he/ she will pick up the pole and not you. mostly approach a victim from behind so they won’t grab you.
After moving the victim out of water, Call an emergency, Have a look at the victim, check the victim's airway, breathing and pulse. If the pulse has stopped or seems dangerously slow or shallow, give that person CPR, give an artificial respiration through the nose or blow air by the victim's mouth by closing the nose, place him in the open air to let him rest till the help arrives.
What if you drown into the water?
If you accidentally/purposely fall into a pool or pond and you don't know how to swim. Follow these tips:
First of all, RELAX!
Get to a sleeping position by raising your legs and body to near horizontal position slowly. At the same time, look up at the sky/ceiling and keep your head up.
Keep your arms and body loose. Your legs might slowly drop (tend to bend vertical). At that time, remember to keep your legs in sleeping position(almost horizontal)
Deep breaths.
For the first time in your life, you'll feel like flying. Note that this method does not apply to the sea/ocean or anywhere else where the water is either moving or has waves. Do not try this at home or sea or ocean or moving water or waterfall. [1]
Human body is 72% water. This means your density is similar to that of water. Hence any human will be able to float easily. And besides that, we have our lungs, which have air as long as we are breathing. This gives additional buoyancy to our body. All these summed up, helps our body to float.
Don't drink water in panic. Because drowning is caused only by water filling the lungs thereby making us to sink.
Complications after drowning:
Even if a victim comes safely out of water from drowning, the next 24 hours can be very crucial. Since the water goes inside the lungs, this might lead to complications like pneumonia infection(refer our post "PNEUMONIA" for more information), heart failure and many more. So they should be immediately rushed to the hospital.[3]
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