A drowning victim is typically a person with little or no swimming skills who suddenly finds himself or herself in deep water and panics. Additionally, a person in distress can become a drowning victim if he or she panics.
Death as a result of inhaling liquid.
Suffocation or near-suffocation from submersion in water or other liquid. The immediate cause of drowning is a lack of oxygen. Symptoms of near-drowning include swollen abdomen; bluish skin on the lips and ears; cold, pale skin; confusion; cough with pink, frothy sputum; fever; failure to breathe; shallow or gasping breathing; and unconsciousness. Although people who are drowning usually cannot shout for help, there are signs of drowning, such as a fully clothed swimmer, uneven swimming motions of a tired swimmer, and a swimmer whose head shows above the water though his or her body does not.
Death resulting from asphyxiation and a state of oxygen deprivation linked with being submerged in a liquid. Frequently, the individual inhales the liquid into their lungs, although in some cases, termed as dry drowning, no liquid enters the lungs. Individuals who are successfully revived after an extended period of submersion are typically referred to as “near drowning” victims.
At first, a muscle situated at the windpipe’s entrance contracts automatically, a mechanism referred to as the laryngeal reflex, which prevents water from reaching the lungs and instead guides it to the oesophagus and stomach. Nevertheless, this laryngeal reflex hampers normal breathing and can rapidly cause hypoxia and unconsciousness. If the individual is able to stay afloat and ends up facing upwards at this stage, the survival chances are decent because the laryngeal reflex starts to ease, potentially allowing normal breathing to recommence.
An ambulance should be summoned and the individual’s state evaluated. If the person exhibits no signs of breathing and/or there’s no detectable pulse, life-saving procedures should be initiated and maintained until professional medical assistance arrives.
There are instances where victims can be revived after extended submersion in extremely cold water, due to the body’s reduced oxygen requirements in such conditions. In every situation of successful resuscitation, it’s crucial for the individual to be transported to a hospital. This is because fatal symptoms can develop several hours post-rescue if water has transitioned from the lungs into the bloodstream.