Perhaps surprisingly, no — people do not flail around while drowning. The splashing sometimes seen — and usually portrayed as drowning on TV — is actually called aquatic distress. This happens before drowning occurs, when a person would still be able to grab life preserver or otherwise participate in his or her rescue. Drowning itself is very calm and quiet; a drowning person isn't able to yell for help because their lungs are filling with water.
More Drowning Facts:
- Drowning victims often will look as if they're just treading water, totally fine, and looking up at the boat or a deck. They typically have their mouths open, head back and eyes open, but with unfocused staring. Calling to a potential drowner at this point to make sure they aren't drowning is a good idea.
- The flailing arm scenario can't happen because when a person is drowning, the body's instinct is to push down to leverage themselves up out of the water. A drowning person can stay upright in the water for up to a minute before going under.
- About 750 children drown each year in the US — many of whom are very near a parent who doesn't recognize what's happening. Drowning is second only to car accidents as the top cause of accidental deaths for children.
Discussion Comments
how is it possible that someone has their eyes fixated on something and their right hand balled into a fist?
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