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5 ways you might be missing a drowning victim

Written by Kristie Rivers, MD, FAAP, Board Certified Pediatrician

Can't call for help

While drowning and unable to breathe, calling for help would be impossible.

Unlike in the movies, real drowning victims are so desperate to breathe that they wouldn’t waste a second attempting to call for help. In most drowning cases, bystanders would not hear a yelp from the victim as their first priority is getting air not speaking.

References

  1. Pediatrics. Prevention of Drowning.

Comments

  1. Excuse if you take this the wrong way, but the title states “no arm waving” shouldn’t it read “know arm waving”?

    Reply

    1. Hi, Katy! One of the unfortunate ways people don’t recognize drowning is because the victims frequently don’t wave their arms. Instead they just slip under water. So it’s actually “no” waving visible.

      Reply

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