Alternate Names: Drowning - near

Considerations:

In the United States, drowning claims nearly 8,000 lives annually.

All near-drowning victims should be checked by a doctor. Even though victims may revive quickly at the scene, lung complications are common.

A person who is drowning usually can’t shout for help, so it’s important to be alert for signs of drowning. Most drownings occur within a short distance of safety. Suspect an accident if you see someone in the water fully clothed. Watch for uneven swimming motions, which indicate a swimmer is getting tired. Often the body sinks and only the head shows above the water.

In a near-drowning emergency, immediate action and first aid can prevent death.

It is possible to revive a drowning victim even if the victim has been in cold water for a long period.

Children may drown in only a few inches of water.

Causes:

• Lack of oxygen.
• Near-drowning results from an inability to swim, from panic while swimming, a boating accident, a heart attack, or a blow to the head while in the water, drinking heavily before swimming, or a suicide attempt.

Symptoms:

• Abdominal distention.
• Bluish skin of the face, especially the lips and ears.
• Cold skin and pale appearance.
• Confusion.
• Cough with pink, frothy sputum.
• Fever.
• Irritability.
• Lethargy.
• No breathing.
• Restlessness.
• Shallow or gasping respirations.
• Substernal chest pain.
• Unconsciousness.
• Vomiting.

Do Not:

• Go out on the ice to rescue a drowning person that you can reach with your arm or an extended object.
• Assume that a victim cannot or should not be helped.
• Attempt a swimming rescue unless you are trained in water rescue.
• Go into rough or turbulent water that may endanger you.

Call If:

If you cannot rescue the drowning person without endangering yourself, call for emergency medical assistance immediately. If you can rescue the person, do so and then call for medical help.

First Aid:

1. When someone is drowning, get help immediately, but do not place yourself in danger. Don’t get into the water or onto ice yourself unless there is no other alternative. Rescue options include using a throw rope attached to a buoyant object such as a life ring or life jacket. Toss it to the floundering person, then pull him or her to shore.
   
   Using a rowboat or cane to reach the person is another option; the person can then cling to the side of the craft while you row or paddle to shore. Unless there is an access ladder, do not encourage the person to try to climb into the boat, because the boat might capsize and you will both be in the water.
   
   Keep in mind that victims who have fallen through the ice become hypothermic very rapidly and may not be able to grasp objects within their reach or hold on while being pulled to safety.
   
   However, if the person is still floundering in the water and you believe you are strong enough and sufficiently well trained in swimming and water rescue to get him out, do so immediately.
   
2. If the victim’s breathing has stopped, begin mouth-to-mouth resuscitation as soon as you safely can. This means starting the breathing process even before the victim has been positioned on land.
   
3. Continue to breathe for the person every few seconds while moving the victim to shore.
   
4. Begin immediately to breath for the person. The air should still reach the lungs. Once on land, check the pulse and give CPR if needed.
   
5. For step-by-step instructions on rescue breathing, see CPR and rescue breathing first aid.
   
6. Caution should be used when using the Heimlich maneuver. The Heimlich maneuver should not routinely be used in the rescue of near-drowning victims. It should be used to empty a stomach but never to empty the lungs of water. If the victim is in the water and is not breathing and it’s difficult to use mouth-to-mouth, a few quick Heimlich maneuver hugs can be applied to the chest to help the victim cough up water and begin breathing on his own.
7. Always use caution when moving a victim. They may have suffered injuries. Always assume that the victim has broken his neck. Never move the neck to reposition it. Instead, immediately immobilized the head and neck. Either tape it to a backboard or stretcher or secure the neck by placing rolled towels or other objects around it. It is important to keep the victim calm and to keep them immobilized. Seek medical help immediately.
8. In order to prevent hypothermia, remove any cold, wet clothes from the victim and cover him with something warm, if possible.
   
9. Give the victim first aid for any illness or injuries.
   
10. As the victim revives, he may cough and experience difficulty breathing. Calm and reassure the victim until you get medical help. All near-drowning victims should be seen by a health-care provider. Even though victims may revive quickly at the scene, lung complications are common.
    

Prevention:

• Avoid drinking alcohol before or while swimming or boating.
• Observe water safety rules.
• Take a water safety course.
• Never allow children to swim alone or unsupervised regardless of their ability to swim.
• Never leave children alone for any period of time or let them leave your line of sight near any body of water. Drownings have occurred when parents left "for just a minute" to answer the phone or door.
• Drowning can occur in any container of water. Do not leave any standing water such as might occur in: empty basins, buckets, ice chests, kiddy pools, or bathtubs. Secure the toilet seat cover with a safety device.
• Fence all pools and spas. Secure all the doors to the outside.

If your child is missing, check the pool immediately.