Drowning is death as caused by suffocation when a liquid causes interruption of the body's absorption of oxygen from the air leading to asphyxia. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify Diseases The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10th Revision ( ICD -10) is a coding of diseases and signs symptoms abnormal findings S00-T14 - Injury (S00-S09 Head ( Superficial Injury of head ( Superficial injury of The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (most commonly known by the abbreviation ICD) provides codes to classify Diseases The following is a list of codes for International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems. The Diseases Database is a free Website that provides information about the relationships between medical conditions Symptoms, and Medications. MedlinePlus, with the MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia, is a website network containing Health information from the world's largest medical Library eMedicine is an online clinical medical knowledge base that was founded in 1996 by Scott Plantz and Richard Lavely two medical doctors Medical Subject Headings ( MeSH) is a huge Controlled vocabulary (or metadata system for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific The primary cause of death is hypoxia and acidosis leading to cardiac arrest. Chronic Hypoxia is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole ( generalized hypoxia) or region of the body ( tissue hypoxia) is deprived of adequate Acidosis is an increased Acidity (ie an increased Hydrogen ion Concentration) A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiorespiratory arrest, cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of

Near drowning is the survival of a drowning event involving unconsciousness or water inhalation and can lead to serious secondary complications, including death, after the event. Cases of near drowning are often given attention by medical professionals. This article is about people called professionals For the Movie, see The Professional or Leon. Secondary drowning is death due to chemical or biological changes in the lungs after a near drowning incident.

In many countries, drowning is one of the leading causes of death for children under 14 years old . Children have drowned in wading pools and even bath tubs. The rate of drowning in populations around the world varies widely according to their access to water, the climate and the national swimming culture. For example, typically the United Kingdom suffers 450 drownings per annum or 1 per 150,000 of population whereas the United States suffers 6,500 drownings or around 1 per 50,000 of population. Drowning related injuries are the fifth most likely cause of accidental death in the US. In some regions, drowning is the second most likely cause of injury and death for children after car accidents. The rate of near drowning incidents is unknown.

Victims are more likely to be male, young or adolescent. Surveys indicate that 10% of children under 5 have experienced a situation with a high risk of drowning. The causes of drowning cases in the US are as follows:

• 44% are related to swimming
• 17% are related to boating
• 14% are unattributed
• 10% related to scuba diving
• 7% related to car accidents

Drowning risk situations

Typical situation pool lifesavers are trained to look for; drownings are silent and do not attract attention. Scuba diving is swimming underwater, or taking part in another activity while using a Scuba set. A motor Vehicle is a Machine which incorporates a motor (sometimes known as an Engine) and which is used for Transportation This photo is staged to demonstrate.

A sign with 83 tally marks warns hikers on the trail to Hanakapiai Beach, Hawaii. Tally marks are an implementation of the Unary numeral system. Hanakapiai Beach (in Hawaiian, Hanakapiai) is a Beach in the Hawaiian islands located on Kauai 's Na Pali Coast.

Most drownings occur in water, 90% in freshwater (rivers, lakes and pools) 10% in seawater, drownings in other fluids are rare and often industrial accidents. A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is an artificially enclosed Body of water intended for Swimming or Seawater is Water from a Sea or Ocean. On average seawater in the world's oceans has a Salinity of about 3

Common conditions and risk factors that may lead to drowning include but are not limited to: (In no particular order)

• Males are more likely to drown than females, especially in the 18-24 age bracket.
• Failing to wear a PFD when boating. A personal flotation device (also referred to as PFD, lifejacket, life preserver, Mae West, life vest, life saver,
• Lack of supervision of young children (less than 5 years old).
• Water conditions exceed the swimmer's ability - turbulent or fast water, water out of depth, falling through ice, rip currents, undertows, currents, waves and eddies. A rip current, rip tide or rip is a strong surface flow of Water returning Seaward from near the Shore (not to be confused with an A current, in a River or Stream, is the Flow of Water influenced by Gravity as the water moves Downhill to reduce its A wave is a disturbance that propagates through Space and Time, usually with transference of Energy. In Fluid dynamics, an eddy is the swirling of a Fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle
• Entrapment - physically unable to get out of the situation because of a lack of an escape route, snagging or by being hampered by clothing or equipment.
• Impaired judgment and physical incapacitation arising from the use of drugs, principally alcohol.
• Incapacitation arising from the conditions - cold (hypothermia), shock, injury or exhaustion. Hypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal Metabolism and bodily functions Injury or bodily injury is Damage or Harm caused to the Structure or function of the Body caused by an outside agent or
• Incapacitation arising from acute illness while swimming - heart attack, seizure or stroke. Myocardial infarction ( MI or AMI for acute myocardial infarction) also known as a heart attack, occurs when the blood supply An epileptic seizure is caused by excessive and/or hypersynchronous electrical Neuronal activity and is usually self-limiting A stroke is the rapidly developing loss of brain functions due to a disturbance in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain
• Forcible submersion by another person - murder or misguided children's play. Murder is the unlawful killing of another human person with Malice aforethought, as defined in Common Law countries
• Snowmobiling after dark. A snowmobile (known locally as snowmachine, snowsled or by the Brandname Ski-Doo) is a land vehicle that is commonly propelled by
• Blackout underwater after rapid breathing to extend a breath-hold dive - shallow water blackout. A shallow water blackout is a loss of consciousness caused by Cerebral hypoxia towards the end of a breath-hold dive in water typically shallower than five
• Blackout on ascent from a deep breath-hold dive due to latent hypoxia - deep water blackout. A deep water blackout is a loss of consciousness caused by Cerebral hypoxia on ascending from a deep Freedive or breath-hold dive typically of ten metres or more
• Drowning following a car crash or submersion.

People have drowned in as little as 30 mm of water lying face down, in one case in a wheel rut. Children have drowned in baths, buckets and toilets; inebriates or those under the influence of drugs have died in puddles. For a more detailed list of causes see swimming. Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance

The pathophysiology of drowning

The body's reaction to submersion

Submerging the face in water colder than about 21 °C (70 °F) triggers the mammalian diving reflex, found in all mammals, and especially in marine mammals such as whales and seals. The mammalian diving reflex optimizes Mammals Respiration to stay underwater for a long time Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Marine mammals are a diverse group of roughly 120 species of Mammal that are primarily Ocean -dwelling or depend on the ocean for food Whales are marine mammals which are neither Dolphins (ie members of the families Delphinidae or Platanistoidae) nor Porpoises Orcas Pinnipeds ("fin-feet" lit "winged feet" or fin-footed mammals are a widely distributed and diverse group of semi-aquatic marine Mammals comprising This reflex protects the body by putting it into energy saving mode to maximize the time it can stay under water. The strength of this reflex is greater in colder water and has three principal effects:

• Bradycardia, a slowing of the heart rate of up to 50% in humans. Bradycardia, as applied to adult medicine is defined as a resting Heart rate of under 60 beats per minute though it is seldom symptomatic until the rate drops below 50 beat/min Measuring heart rate The Pulse rate (which in most people is identical to the heart rate can be measured at any point on the body where an Artery 's pulsation
• Peripheral Vasoconstriction, the restriction of the blood flow to the extremities to increase the blood and oxygen supply to the vital organs, especially the brain. Vasoconstriction is the narrowing of the blood vessels resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels particularly the large Arteries, Arterioles The brain is the center of the Nervous system in animals All Vertebrates and the majority of Invertebrates have a brain
• Blood Shift, the shifting of blood to the thoracic cavity, the region of the chest between the diaphragm and the neck, to avoid the collapse of the lungs under higher pressure during deeper dives. The thoracic cavity (or chest cavity) is the chamber of the human body (and other animal bodies that is protected by the Thoracic wall ( Thoracic cage

The reflex action is automatic and allows both a conscious and an unconscious person to survive longer without oxygen under water than in a comparable situation on dry land.

Fresh water vs. Salt Water drowning

Although fresh-water drowning is often associated with aspiration of water into the lungs, the cause of death is not due to either hypoxia or pulmonary edema. When fresh water enters the lungs it is pulled into the pulmonary circulation via the alveoli because of the low capillary hydrostatic pressure and high colloid osmotic pressure. Consequently, the plasma is diluted and the hypotonic environment causes red blood cells to burst (hemolysis). The resulting elevation of plasma K⁺ level and depression of Na⁺ level, due to the hemolysis, alter the electrical activity of the heart. Ventricular fibrilation often occurs as a result of these electrolyte changes. Additionally, if drowning occurs in very cold water ( <10^o C), the uptake of cold water into the vascular system can stop the heart. In open heart surgery, the technique of pouring cold saline solution over the heart is used to prevent heart action. If the victim is resucitated death can occur hours later due to renal failure. Renal failure or kidney During hemolysis, hemoglobin is also released into the plasma which can accumulate in the kidneys leading to acute renal failure. In contrast, salt-water drowning does not lead to uptake of inspired water into the vascular system because it is isotonic to blood. Therefore, no red cell hemolysis occurs and the cause of death is asphyxia.

The reaction to oxygen deprivation

A conscious victim will hold his or her breath (see Apnea) and will try to access air, often resulting in panic, including rapid body movement. For psychological condition see Panic attack Panic is a sudden Fear which dominates or replaces thinking and often affects groups of This uses up more oxygen in the blood stream and reduces the time to unconsciousness. The victim can voluntarily hold his or her breath for some time, but the breathing reflex will increase until the victim will try to breathe, even when submerged.

The breathing reflex in the human body is weakly related to the amount of oxygen in the blood but strongly related to the amount of carbon dioxide. Oxygen (from the Greek roots ὀξύς (oxys (acid literally "sharp" from the taste of acids and -γενής (-genēs (producer literally begetteris the Blood is a specialized Bodily fluid that delivers necessary substances to the body's cells ��such as nutrients and oxygen—and transports Waste products Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single During apnea, the oxygen in the body is used by the cells, and excreted as carbon dioxide. The cell is the structural and functional unit of all known living Organisms It is the smallest unit of an organism that is classified as living and is often called Thus, the level of oxygen in the blood decreases, and the level of carbon dioxide increases. Increasing carbon dioxide levels lead to a stronger and stronger breathing reflex, up to the breath-hold breakpoint, at which the victim can no longer voluntarily hold his or her breath. This typically occurs at an arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide of 55 mm Hg, but may differ significantly from individual to individual and can be increased through training. In a mixture of Ideal gases each gas has a partial pressure which is the pressure which the gas would have if it alone occupied the volume

The breath-hold break point can be suppressed or delayed either intentionally or unintentionally. Hyperventilation before any dive, deep or shallow, flushes out carbon dioxide in the blood resulting in a dive commencing with an abnormally low carbon dioxide level; a potentially dangerous condition known as hypocapnia. In Medicine, hyperventilation (or overbreathing) is the state of Breathing faster and/or deeper than necessary bringing about lightheadedness and other Hypocapnia or hypocapnea also known as hypocarbia, sometimes incorrectly called acapnia, is a state of reduced Carbon dioxide in the Blood The level of carbon dioxide in the blood after hyperventilation may then be insufficient to trigger the breathing reflex later in the dive and a blackout may occur without warning and before the diver feels any urgent need to breathe. This can occur at any depth and is common in distance breath-hold divers in swimming pools, refer to shallow water blackout for more detail. A shallow water blackout is a loss of consciousness caused by Cerebral hypoxia towards the end of a breath-hold dive in water typically shallower than five Hyperventilation is often used by both deep and distance free-divers to flush out carbon dioxide from the lungs to suppress the breathing reflex for longer. It is important not to mistake this for an attempt to increase the body's oxygen store. The body at rest is fully oxygenated by normal breathing and cannot take on any more. Breath holding in water should always be supervised by a second person, as by hyperventilating, one increases the risk of shallow water blackout because insufficient carbon dioxide levels in the blood fail to trigger the breathing reflex.

The reaction to water inhalation

If water enters the airways of a conscious victim the victim will try to cough up the water or swallow it thus inhaling more water involuntarily. The airways are those parts of the Respiratory system through which air flows to get from the external environment to the Alveoli. Upon water entering the airways, both conscious and unconscious victims experience laryngospasm, that is the larynx or the vocal cords in the throat constrict and seal the air tube. In Medicine, laryngospasm is an uncontrolled/involuntary muscular contraction ( spasm) of the Laryngeal cords The condition typically lasts less than 30 The larynx (plural larynges) colloquially known as the voicebox, is an organ in the Neck of Mammals involved in protection of the The vocal folds, also known commonly as vocal cords, are composed of twin infoldings of Mucous membrane stretched horizontally across the Larynx. The traceartes, or windpipe, is a tube that has an inner diameter of about 20-25 mm and a length of about 10-16 cm in humans This prevents water from entering the lungs. lung is the essential Respiration organ in air-breathing Animals including most Tetrapods a few Fish and a few Snails The most primitive Because of this laryngospasm, water enters the stomach in the initial phase of drowning and very little water enters the lungs. Unfortunately, this can interfere with air entering the lungs, too. In most victims, the laryngospasm relaxes some time after unconsciousness and water can enter the lungs causing a "wet drowning". However, about 10-15% of victims maintain this seal until cardiac arrest, this is called "dry drowning" as no water enters the lungs. Dry drowning is when a person's Lungs become unable to extract Oxygen from the Air, due primarily to Muscular Paralysis In forensic pathology water in the lungs indicates that the victim was still alive at the point of submersion; the absence of water in the lungs may be either a dry drowning or indicates a death before submersion. Forensic pathology is a branch of Pathology concerned with determining the Cause of death by examination of a cadaver

Unconsciousness

A continued lack of oxygen in the brain, hypoxia, will quickly render a victim unconscious usually around a blood partial pressure of oxygen of 25-30mmHg. Chronic Hypoxia is a pathological condition in which the body as a whole ( generalized hypoxia) or region of the body ( tissue hypoxia) is deprived of adequate An unconscious victim rescued with an airway still sealed from laryngospasm stands a good chance of a full recovery. Artificial respiration is also much more effective without water in the lungs. Artificial respiration is the act of simulating respiration, which provides for the overall exchange of gases in the body by pulmonary ventilation external respiration and internal At this point the victim stands a good chance of recovery if attended to within minutes. In most victims the laryngospasm relaxes some time after unconsciousness and water fills the lungs resulting in a wet drowning. Latent hypoxia is a special condition leading to unconsciousness where the partial pressure of oxygen in the lungs under pressure at the bottom of a deep free-dive is adequate to support consciousness but drops below the blackout threshold as the water pressure decreases on the ascent, usually close to the surface as the pressure approaches normal atmospheric pressure. A blackout on ascent like this is called a deep water blackout. A deep water blackout is a loss of consciousness caused by Cerebral hypoxia on ascending from a deep Freedive or breath-hold dive typically of ten metres or more

Cardiac arrest and death

The brain cannot survive long without oxygen and the continued lack of oxygen in the blood combined with the cardiac arrest will lead to the deterioration of brain cells causing first brain damage and eventually brain death from which recovery is generally considered impossible. Brain damage, or Acquired brain injury, is the destruction or degeneration of Brain cells. Brain death is a legal definition of death that emerged in the 1960s as a response to the ability to resuscitate individuals and mechanically keep the heart and lungs working A lack of oxygen or chemical changes in the lungs may cause the heart to stop beating; this cardiac arrest stops the flow of blood and thus stops the transport of oxygen to the brain. A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiorespiratory arrest, cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of Cardiac arrest used to be the traditional point of death but at this point there is still a chance of recovery. The brain will die after approximately six minutes without oxygen but special conditions may prolong this (see 'cold water drowning' below). Freshwater contains less salt than blood and will therefore be absorbed into the blood stream by osmosis. Osmosis is the Diffusion of a solvent (frequently water through a semi-permeable membrane, from a solution of low solute concentration (high water potential In animal experiments this was shown to change the blood chemistry and led to cardiac arrest in 2 to 3 minutes. Sea water is much saltier than blood. Through osmosis water will leave the blood stream and enter the lungs thickening the blood. In animal experiments the thicker blood requires more work from the heart leading to cardiac arrest in 8 to 10 minutes. However, autopsies on human drowning victims show no indications of these effects and there appears to be little difference between drownings in salt water and fresh water. After death rigor mortis will set in and remains for about two days, depending on many factors including water temperature. Rigor mortis is one of the recognizable signs of Death ( Latin mors mortis) that is caused by a chemical change in the Muscles

Secondary drowning

Water, regardless of its salt content, will damage the inside surface of the lung, collapse the alveoli and cause pulmonary edema with a reduced ability to exchange air. An alveolus (plural alveoli, from Latin alveolus, "little cavity" is an anatomical structure that has the form of a hollow cavity Pulmonary Edema (American English or oedema (British English is swelling and/or fluid accumulation in the Lungs It leads to impaired gas exchange and may cause This may cause death up to 72 hours after a near drowning incident. This is called secondary drowning. Inhaling certain poisonous vapors or gases will have a similar effect.

Rescue and treatment

Many pools and designated bathing areas either have lifeguards, a pool safety camera system for local or remote monitoring, or computer aided drowning detection. Pool Safety Cameras are video monitoring systems ostensibly designed to reduce Drowning deaths in public and private pools. However, bystanders play an important role in drowning detection and either intervention or the notification of authorities by phone or alarm. No person should attempt a rescue that is beyond his or her ability or level of training.

If a drowning occurs or a swimmer becomes missing, bystanders should immediately call for help. The lifeguard should be called if present. A lifeguard is an Emergency service worker who is responsible for overseeing the Safety of the users of a recreational water feature such as a Swimming If not, emergency medical services and paramedics should be contacted as soon as possible. Emergency medical services (abbreviated to the initialism "EMS" in many countries are a branch of Emergency services dedicated to providing out-of-hospital A paramedic is a medical professional usually a member of the emergency medical service, who primarily provides Pre-hospital advanced medical and

The first step in rescuing a drowning victim is to ensure your own safety. Then bring the victim's mouth and nose above the water surface. For further treatment it is advisable to remove the victim from the water. Conscious victims may panic and thus hinder rescue efforts. For psychological condition see Panic attack Panic is a sudden Fear which dominates or replaces thinking and often affects groups of Often, a victim will cling to the rescuer and try to pull himself out of the water, submerging the rescuer in the process. To avoid this, it is recommended that the rescuer approach the panicking victim with a buoyant object, or from behind, twisting the victim's arm on the back to restrict movement. In Physics, buoyancy ( BrE IPA: /ˈbɔɪənsi/ is the upward Force on an object produced by the surrounding liquid or gas in which it is If the victim pushes the rescuer under water, the rescuer should dive downwards to escape the victim.

Actively drowning victims do not usually call out for help simply because they lack the air to do so. It is necessary to breathe to yell. Human physiology does not allow the body to waste any air when starving for it. They rarely raise their hands out of the water. They use the surface of the water to push themselves up in an attempt to get their mouths out of the water. Lifting arms out of the water always pushes the head down. Head low in the water, occasionally bobbing up and down is another common sign of active drowning.

There can be splashing involved during drowning, usually a butterfly like stroke where the hands barely clear the waters surface, and sometimes victims can look like they are climbing an invisible ladder in the water.

Extenuating factors such as increased levels of stress, secondary injuries, and environmental factors can increase the likelihood of distress and/or drowning in persons who end up overboard. It is important that you recognize the behaviors associated with aquatic distress and drowning, so you can make informed decisions during emergencies.

Signs or behaviors associated with drowning or near-drowning:

• Head low in the water, mouth at water level
• Head tilted back with mouth open
• Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus
• Eyes open, with fear evident on the face
• Hair over forehead or eyes
• Hyperventilating or gasping
• Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway
• Trying to roll over on the back to float
• Uncontrollable movement of arms and legs, rarely out of the water.

After successfully approaching the victim, negatively buoyant objects such as a weight belt are removed. The priority is then to transport the victim to the water's edge in preparation for removal from the water. The victim is turned on his or her back. A secure grip is used to tow panicking victims from behind, with both rescuer and victim lying on their backs, and the rescuer swimming a breaststroke kick. Breaststroke is a Swimming style swum on the Breast. It is the most popular recreational style due to its stability and the ability to keep the head out of the A cooperative victim may be towed in a similar fashion held at the armpits, and the victim may assist with a breaststroke kick. An unconscious victim may be pulled in a similar fashion held at the chin and cheeks, ensuring that the mouth and nose is well above the water.

There is also the option of pushing a cooperative victim lying on his or her back with the rescuer swimming on his or her belly and pushing the feet of the victim, or both victim and rescuer lying on the belly, with the victim hanging from the shoulders of the rescuers. This has the advantage that the rescuer can use both arms and legs to swim breaststroke, but if the victim pushes his or her head above the water, the rescuer may get pushed down. This method is often used to retrieve tired swimmers. If the victim wears lifejacket, buoyancy compensator, or other flotation device that stabilizes his or her position with the face up, only one hand of the rescuer is needed to pull the victim, and the other hand may provide forward movement or may help in rescue breathing while swimming, using for example a snorkel. A personal flotation device (also referred to as PFD, lifejacket, life preserver, Mae West, life vest, life saver,

Special care has to be taken for victims with suspected spinal injuries, and a back board (spinal board) may be needed for the rescue. In water, CPR is ineffective, and the goal should be to bring the victim to a stable ground quickly and then to start CPR.

If the approach to a stable ground includes the edge of a pool without steps or the edge of a boat, special techniques have been developed for moving the victim over the obstacle. For pools, the rescuer stands outside, holds the victim by his or her hands, with the victim's back to the edge. The rescuer then dips the victim into the water quickly to achieve an upward speed of the body, aiding with the lifting of the body over the edge. Lifting a victim over the side of a boat may require more than one person. Special techniques are also used by the coast guard and military for helicopter rescues. A coast guard is a national organization responsible for various services at sea

After reaching dry ground, all victims should be referred to medical assistance, especially if unconscious or if even small amounts of water have entered the lungs. An unconscious victim may need artificial respiration or CPR. Artificial respiration is the act of simulating respiration, which provides for the overall exchange of gases in the body by pulmonary ventilation external respiration and internal

The Heimlich manoeuver is not recommended; the technique may have relevance in situations where airways are obstructed by solids but not fluids. Choking is the mechanical obstruction of the flow of air from the environment into the lungs Performing the manoeuver on drowning victims not only delays ventilation but may induce vomiting, which if aspirated will place the patient in a far worse situation. Moreover, the use of the Heimlich manoeuvre in any choking situation, involving solids or fluids, has become controversial and is generally no longer taught. For more information on this debate refer to the article Henry Heimlich. Henry Jay Heimlich MD (born Henry Judah Heimlich, 3 February 1920 is an American Physician credited as the inventor of abdominal thrusts known as the

100% oxygen is neither recommended nor discouraged^[1]. Treatment for hypothermia may also be necessary. Hypothermia is a condition in which an organism's temperature drops below that required for normal Metabolism and bodily functions Water in the stomach need not be removed, except in the case of paediatric drownings as a gastric distension can limit movement of the lungs. Other injuries should also be treated (see first aid). First aid is the provision of initial care for an Illness or Injury. Victims that are alert, awake, and intact have nearly a 100% survival rate.

Drowning victims should be treated even if they have been submerged for a long time. The rule "no patient should be pronounced dead until warm and dead" applies. Children in particular have a good chance of survival in water up to 3 minutes, or 10 minutes in cold water (10 to 15 °C or 50 to 60 °F). Submersion in cold water can slow the metabolism drastically. Metabolism is the set of Chemical reactions that occur in living Organisms in order to maintain Life. There are rare but documented cases of survivable submersion for extreme lengths of time. In one case a child named Michelle Funk survived drowning after being submerged in cold water for 70 minutes. In another, an 18 year old man survived 38 minutes under water. This is known as cold water drowning.

Prevention

Children have drowned in buckets and toilets

The reduction of drowning through education and basic prevention steps, has become a necessity. Training information can be found through the following organizations Star Fish Aquatics, Jeff Ellis and Associates, through the local chapter of then American Red Cross and many other local organizations.

Training emphasises to help prevent drowning:

• Learn to swim
• Basic water rescue. Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance
• Keep a watch out for others.
• Swim in areas where adequate supervision is present ie a trained and certified Lifeguard.

Common sense around the water to help prevent Drowning:

• Ensure that boats are reliable, properly loaded and that functional emergency equipment is onboard.
• Wear a properly fitting lifejacket while enjoying water sports such as sailing, surfing or canoeing. A personal flotation device (also referred to as PFD, lifejacket, life preserver, Mae West, life vest, life saver, Sailing is the art of controlling a Sailing vessel. By changing the Rigging, Rudder and dagger or centre board a Sailor manages the force Surfing is a surface water sport in which the participant is carried along the face of a breaking wave, most commonly using a Surfboard, although wave-riders Canoeing is the activity of paddling a Canoe for the purpose of recreation (also called a float trip Sport, or transportation.
• Pay attention to the weather, tides and water conditions, especially currents. Currents always look weaker from the outside!
• Have a locked fence around swimming pools. A pool fence is a type of Fence placed around Backyard Swimming pools commonly to improve pool safety and to help prevent small children or pets
• Consider cold-acclimatisation training for swimming in very cold water.

Emphasis may be needed in these areas to help prevent drowning:

• Keep children under a watchful eye
• Diving into an unknown depth and or bottom countour area
• Swimming alone
• Swimming at night
• Swimming while under the influence of drugs and or alcohol.
• Using hyperventilation to extend a breath-hold dive, see deep and shallow water blackout
• Relying on swimming aids as they may fail. In Medicine, hyperventilation (or overbreathing) is the state of Breathing faster and/or deeper than necessary bringing about lightheadedness and other A deep water blackout is a loss of consciousness caused by Cerebral hypoxia on ascending from a deep Freedive or breath-hold dive typically of ten metres or more A shallow water blackout is a loss of consciousness caused by Cerebral hypoxia towards the end of a breath-hold dive in water typically shallower than five
• Playing games that will put your life, or others', at risk.
• Diving into water where the bottom cannot clearly be seen or depth determined.
• Walking on ice unless it is known absolutely that the ice is thick enough over the entire route.
• Be aware of your personal limits.
• Swimming in cold water unless first, fully cold-acclimatised and experienced winter swimmer.

As a method of execution

In Europe, drowning was used -- more often than hanging, even -- as capital punishment, at least for a time. In fact, during the Middle Ages, a sentence of death was read using the words "cum fossa et furca," or "with drowning-pit and gallows. " Commonly, women who were convicted of theft were drowned. Furthermore, drowning was used as a way to determine if a woman was a witch. The idea was that witches would float and the innocent would drown. For more details, see trial by drowning. Trial by drowning is a Medieval Ordeal allegedly used on women suspected of Witchcraft. It is understood that drowning was used as the least brutal form of execution, and was therefore reserved primarily for women, although favorable men were executed in this way as well.

Drowning survived as a method of execution in Europe until the 17th and 18th centuries. England had abolished the practice by 1623, Scotland by 1685, Switzerland in 1652, Austria in 1776, Iceland in 1777, and Russia by the beginning of the 1800s. France revived the practice during the French Revolution (1789–1799) and was carried out by Jean Baptiste Carrier at Nantes. The French Revolution (1789–1799 was a period of political and social upheaval in the History of France, during which the French governmental structure previously an Jean-Baptiste Carrier (1756 &ndash November 16, 1794) was a French Revolutionary known for his cruelty to his enemies especially to Clergy Nantes (Naoned Gallo: Naunnt) is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast ^[2]

See also

Vasily Perov: The drowned, 1867

• List of drowning victims
• Medical emergency
• Artificial respiration
• CPR
• Shallow water blackout
• Deep water blackout
• Diver rescue
• Dry drowning
• Pool fence

References

External links

• Drowning prevention information from Seattle Children's Hospital.
• Dr Suzanne Shepherd, Drowning in eMedicine
• Information on search and recovery of drowning victims
• Canadian Red Cross: Drowning Research: Drownings in Canada, 10 Years of Research Module 2 - Ice & Cold Water Immersion, 2006
• Transport Canada Survival in Cold Waters, 2003
• Canadian Lifesaving Society Cannadian National Drowning Report (1991-2000)