Some Common Myths Thought to be True - Myth 62
Myth 62: Drowning is a Violent Struggle
The Instinctive Drowning Response - so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is
what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it
does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no
waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just
how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is
the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just
behind vehicle accidents) - of the approximately 750 children who will drown
next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other
adult. In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do
it, having no idea it is happening. Drowning does not look like drowning.
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Drowning people's mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface
of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the
water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the
drowning people's mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly
as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.
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