Types of Drowning
There are two types of drowning which can be experienced be a person. The two types are:
• Wet Drowning- This is the common type of drowning. In this type of drowning, the person consequently dies due to lack of oxygen, as a result of being in the water.
• Dry Drowning- Dry drowning happens when an individual's laryngeal reflexes are brisk, which results to spasm. This spasm stops the inhalation of water.
Stages in Wet Drowning
There are five stages the people that people who are drowning undergo. These five stages are:
• Surprise- in the first stage of drowning, the victim realizes that he/she is in great danger and becomes afraid. The victim tries very hard to breath.
• Involuntary Breath Holding- In this stage, the victim is not completely (including the head) submerged under the water, and is trying to protect himself/herself through involuntary breath holding.
• Unconsciousness- A person cannot hold his breath for a long time. It is natural that the victim will lose his/her oxygen which will lead to unconsciousness, also known as the stage wherein the body shuts down. During this stage, the drowning victim sinks towards the bottom of the water.
• Hypoxic Convulsions- In this stage, the victim will appear like he/she is having a convulsion due to the lack of oxygen in his/her brain. In addition, this is the stage where the victim's skin will turn blue, particularly in fingernail beds and the lips.
• Clinical Death- This is the last stage in drowning and happens when the person's circulation and breathing stop.
Drowning Facts and Statistics in the United States
Here are some facts and statistics concerning drowning in the waters found in the United States:
• Non-fatal drowning can lead to brain damage which can bring long-term disabilities, permanent loss of body's basic functioning or be in a vegetative state
• Drowning is recorded in 2005, as the second leading cause of death for children within the age bracket of 1-14
• In 2005, records show that males have higher tendencies of drowning compared to women
• For every child that dies as a result of drowning, four others acquired hospital cared for non-fatal submersion injuries that they obtained
Drowning in California Waters
In the whole California, it was recorded by the California’s Drowning Prevention Foundation, that Los Angeles has the highest number of non-drowning incidents, having more than 200 persons who experienced such ordeal.
In addition, in California, drowning is the primary cause of accidental death for children within the age bracket of one to four years old. In the children fatalities recorded, 67% of them took place in the child’s own hot tub or spa, and backyard pools.
Drowning Prevention
It is wise to be cautious of the different ways of lessening the risk that an accident such as drowning, may happen. Things to do in order to avoid near-drowning or drowning include:
• Do not allow children to swim alone or unsupervised
• Have a phone installed near the pool so that you can answer it without leaving the area and a child unsupervised (if you are a parent or a guardian)
• do not drink before swimming in the waters
• Forbid children to play within the pool area
• when the pool is not in use, put a durable cover on it
Los Angeles Drowning Injury Claims: Aid to the Victims
If you went through the ordeal of near-drowning, or someone you know drowned as a result another's carelessness, do not hesitate to ask for the help of a drowning injury claims lawyer. This lawyer will do his/her best to help you succeed in getting you drowning injury claims.
To help you with drowning injury claims and other issues, you can consult with our skilled Los Angeles personal injury lawyers. You can visit our website and avail of our free case evaluation.