While safety in or around water is widely publicized, little is mentioned about the most deadly cause of many drownings – Shallow Water Blackout. This is a condition that most don’t know they have until it is too late. Many deaths caused by shallow water blackout are put down to whats commonly known as drowning.
Everyone is at Risk
of
Shallow Water Blackout
This condition is high in those that practice competitive or repetitive under water breath holding, also known as hypoxic breathing, but anyone in the water can be susceptible to it regardless of their health, age, gender or experience around water. This includes…
- Swimmers
- Free divers
- Spearfishers
- Navy Seals
- Search and rescue teams
- Children having competitions with each other of who can hold their breath the longest
Shallow water blackout kills four times faster than a normal drowning, and is caused by a combination of hyperventilation and holding the breath under water, resulting in oxygen deprivation to the brain that leads to the swimmer going unconscious. Once unconscious the body slowly sinks to the bottom…
The Swimmer has NO time to Fight for their Breath
As they Don’t Know they Need It
To bystanders everything often looks okay unless you know what to look for. Even experienced life guards may not detect this before it is too late, unless you are being watched in the water on a one on one basis.
Shallow Water Blackout Prevention – The Whitner Milner Story
End Note: When around Water…
NEVER – Hyperventilate
NEVER – Ingnore the urge to Breath
NEVER – Swim alone
NEVER – Play breath holding games
Article written by Wen Dee
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Other Conditions that Cause a Person to Drown Suddenly
Coroner: Cause of UCSB Water Polo Player Nick Johnson’s Death – Most Likely Shallow Water Blackout
