Shallow Water Drowning

Becky Van Fleet (Home - Becky Van Vleet), a writer I follow, recently wrote about the joys of swimming during the summer months. There’s nothing quite like cooling off in water when the sun is beating into your skin. We all, however, also need to have a healthy respect for water.

This respect should include knowledge about shallow water drowning, a condition that so many people do not know about. I grew up around swimming pools, but I had never heard of shallow water drowning until my cousin drowned but fortunately survived. And yes, medically, the event is still referred to as drowning even when the result is survival. The following article about shallow water drowning is the truth, but I changed names in the story for privacy reasons.

Shallow Water Drowning

“Kasey drowned, but she is still alive!” My sister, Marcie, informed me by phone.

The color drained from my face due to shock. Kasey was our 23-year-old second cousin, and we were close to her and her mother, Jennifer.

Marcie filled me in on all the details, then we prayed for Kasey.

Kasey was visiting her Uncle Lee in Houston, Texas. As he was doing yard work, he noticed Kasey jumping up and down, going under water then coming back up again, in the shallow end of the swimming pool.

“What are you doing?” Lee asked. Kasey’s movements looked a bit strange.

“I’m just doing some exercises I made up,” Kasey said.

Lee returned to yard work, but when he glanced over at the pool a few minutes later, Kasey was at the bottom of the pool, still in the shallow end. Lee immediately pulled Kasey’s limp body out of the pool, yelled at his wife to call 911, then began to administer CPR. Although Lee recognized that Kasey did not have a pulse and she was not responding to his attempts, he continued the CRP until the ambulance arrived. They used a defibrillator and were able to get a pulse, although Kasey did not regain consciousness at that time.

Kasey was taken to the hospital, where she was placed in a medically induced coma for the next fifteen days. She was also placed on a ventilator, which breathed for her, and on dialysis because her kidneys had shut down. She stayed in the hospital for five weeks before she was transferred to a rehabilitation facility.

 Kasey did not drown due to a lack of swimming ability. She grew up with a pool in her backyard, took swimming lessons, and even held a lifeguard certification. During her lifeguard training, Kate was never taught about shallow water drowning.

 Shallow water drowning (also known as shallow water blackout) is a situation in which a swimmer faints due to holding his/her breath for too long of a time. This causes the body to eventually be starved of oxygen, which then causes the carbon dioxide levels to increase. The swimmer lacks enough oxygen to breathe. When the swimmer blacks out, the body tries to save the swimmer by forcing a breath. By this point in time, however, the body is underwater, so this causes the lungs to fill with water. For more information about shallow water drowning, please see the website: www.shallowwaterblackoutprevention.org.

 Without an immediate rescue, the swimmer will not survive. Kasey was fortunate that Lee noticed her so quickly at the bottom of the pool, and then took appropriate action. She was not so fortunate, however, for what she had to endure after drowning.

First, the doctors told Kasey’s parents that she may not survive. They said if she did survive, there was a chance that damage to her brain could cause her to be in a vegetative state for the rest of her life. She was continuously monitored by doctors and nurses for the next two weeks.

Kasey survived without being in a vegetative state, although the shallow water drowning caused traumatic brain injury and damage to her heart, lungs, and kidneys. Doctors attributed her survival to her youth and her overall fitness prior to drowning.

More than a year later, Kasey can drive again, hold a job, and enjoy numerous activities. The damage is now moderate compared to what was happening during and immediately after the drowning. We are so thankful that she survived.

Some steps can be taken to prevent shallow water drowning.

• All pools, whether they be backyard underground or below-ground pools, as well as public swimming pools, should post signs about the danger of shallow water drowning. Rarely are such signs posted.

• No one should ever engage in underwater breathing contests of any kind. These types of contests are dangerous and conducive to shallow water drowning.

• Furthermore, no one should ever hyperventilate by taking a few deep breaths before going underwater. This builds carbon dioxide into the body and will cause a swimmer to pass out even more quickly.

•  Lastly, the adage that you should never swim alone remains true. Had Kasey not had Lee nearby, she would not have survived. Mercifully, he came to her assistance, and she lived to tell the tale.

Also, if swimming in natural bodies of water, be aware of the animals and their habits that are sharing the area with you. You may be swimming with sea lions, and tiger sharks, and polar bears. Oh, my!

The official day of summer is June 20th. Please enjoy summer. Be careful at the same time. Know the rules of water safety, use sunscreen, and drink water so you will not dehydrate. Feel free to comment below about your summer plans!