Drowning Prevention Month: How the Media Gets it Wrong

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. - May 1, 2015 - PRLog -- Typically, the media has no idea what drowning is.  Despite the fact that there is no such thing as “near”, “dry”, “delayed”, and “secondary” drowning, stories using these terms are widely circulated on social media and picked up by print and broadcast media.

Despite good intentions to educate the public on drowning prevention in May, the media often creates confusion that may result in delayed treatment for drowning victims leading to brain injury or death.

Before 2002, there were 33 different published definitions of drowning and near drowning.

In 2002, a standardized definition was approved and accepted by the World Health Organization (WHO), American Heart Association (AHA) and many other lifesaving, lifeguarding, and medical organizations.

Drowning is now defined as “the PROCESS of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion/immersion in a liquid. If someone has difficulty breathing as a result of being underwater, then they have drowned.”

Drowning doesn’t always end in death. Thousands of people, adults and children, drown every year and survive without any additional complications. There are also a significant number of people who suffer non-fatal drowning and as a result have severe, moderate or mild brain damage. You can think of this situation as similar to that of heart attacks or strokes. Some people who experience a heart attack will die, some will survive without complications, and some will survive with some amount of complications. The same is true of drowning.

Any person - adult or child - who has been in or under the water and has symptoms of difficulty in breathing, excessive cough, foam or froth in the mouth, or aren’t acting right that occur immediately or within a few hours of being in the water had a non-fatal drowning and should seek care from a doctor. Symptoms usually appear immediately, but may be delayed by a few hours or get progressively worse. Onset or worsening of symptoms usually occurs within the first 8 hours of submersion.

Drowning already accounts for about 10 deaths per day in the United States. Exact data on non-fatal drowning is more difficult to obtain, but it is estimated that for every fatal drowning incident, there are 3 to7 non-fatal drowning incidents. That is an additional 30 to 70 persons per day in the United States who drown and survive, some with brain damage, some without.

The Starfish Aquatics Institute (SAI) is one of the five nationally recognized water safety certification agencies in the United States, with a growing international presence. Not only is SAI the fastest growing agency, founder Jill White is consistently named one of the “Power 25” in the world of aquatics professionals. Her innovative leadership and vision have also been recognized by the World Waterpark Association, which in 2010 bestowed on her it prestigious Al Turner Memorial Commitment to Excellence Award and inducted her into the World Waterpark Association Hall of Fame in 2014. SAI collaborates in drowning prevention and standards development initiatives and its representatives frequently speak at national and international industry conferences. Clients embrace SAI’s comprehensive programs and recognize that its consulting staff and Medical Directors are the most highly trained and experienced in the industry. Operations and program development are based in Savannah, GA and Lincolnshire, IL, with coordination for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia based in the Abu Dhabi office.