WHAT IS DROWNING?

The World Health Organization defines drowning as "the process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in liquid". The encyclopedia definition says that drowning is death from suffocation caused by a liquid entering the lungs and preventing the absorption of oxygen, leading to reduced oxygen to the brain and heart attack. This is what happens to swimmers when they drown in a swimming pool. Both sources, however, point out that drowning is "preventable".

STATISTICS

According to several reputable consumer health and safety organizations, most drownings involving children under the age of 5 occur in backyard swimming pools. Furthermore, most of the children who drown in swimming pools were last seen in the home, in the care of one or both parents and had been out of sight for less than five minutes.

(See 2006 Pool Drowning Memorandum, C.P.S.C. for more statistics)

HOW TO TELL IF SOMEONE MAY BE DROWNING

If you see your kids (or anyone else) flailing their arms, splashing in the water and screaming for attention, they're probably not drowning.

Persons that are really drowning are physiologically unable to call out for help because they must be able to breathe first. All of their efforts are geared toward breathing. Drowning people normally cannot wave for help. They instinctively extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface, trying to lift their mouths out of the water to breathe. So if you are supervising the bathers in your pool, watch for some of the following signs:

* Swimmer's head low in the water and the mouth at water level
* Swimmer's head tilted back with mouth open (trying to breathe)
* Swimmer's eyes glassy and empty, or the eyes closed
* Swimmer's legs not moving and the body in a vertical position
* Swimmer hyperventilating or gasping for air
* Swimmer trying to swim in a particular direction but not making any progress
* Swimmer trying to roll over on the back

PREVENTION

What can you do? Make sure that everyone in your family learns how to swim. At least one adult in the family should become certified in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation). Put a barrier around your pool (see fences & gates). Always supervise your children and your pool (see pool rules).

For more information on drowning, click on the links below:

Child Drowning Prevention
Drowning Prevention Foundation
National Drowning Prevention Alliance
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention