Top 5 Terrifying Drowning Facts
#5: Salt Water and Fresh Water Kill You Differently
Drowning is drowning, right? Wrong, so pay attention! 90% of all drownings occur in fresh water, and there are very good and scientific reasons for that. First, swimming pools are considered fresh water, so there’s a big chunk of them right there. Secondly, fresh water kills you faster than salt water. When you inhale fresh water, it seeps into your bloodstream where it dilutes your plasma, causing red blood cells to burst, leading to massive organ failure. Salt water has the opposite effect, thickening on your blood, so your lungs quickly fill up with plasma, eventually drowning you in your own liquids. In the end, salt water will stop your heart in about 8 to 10 minutes, while fresh water will do it in about 2 to 3 minutes.
#4: It's a Leading Cause of Accidental Death in Children Worldwide
While you wouldn't think of it as such, water is actually extremely dangerous, and often due to neglect or carelessness, drowning has become one of the leading causes of unintentional injury death throughout the world. Drowning accounts for 7% of all injury related deaths, roughly 372,000 deaths per year, according to the WHO. That means over 1,000 people die per day from drowning. In the US, it is the second leading cause of accidental death in children under 14, right behind traffic accidents, while in China it is by far the most common cause. So swim safe, kids.
#3: Drowning Was Once Considered a Classy Form of Execution
Believe it or not, drowning was once considered a peaceful execution. The practice was prevalent in Middle Ages Europe, and was often reserved for women or gentlemen of the higher class who supposedly deserved a more noble, or at least more gentle death. This practice ended in the 17th century, but not before some pretty infamous witch trials in Europe and New England. Women accused of being witches would be bound and thrown into water on the belief that witches would bob on the surface while humans would sink. While they did try pulling the sinking women out, it would often result in drowning anyhow.
#2: It's Possible to Drown Without Even Being in Water
As if drowning wasn't terrifying enough, it is entirely possible to drown while in the middle of the Sahara! Well, if you took a swim in some oasis or something. Dry or secondary drowning happens long after you’ve left the water– sometimes even hours later. In dry drowning, breathing in water causes your vocal chords to spasm, closing up your throat and blocking your airways. Secondary drowning is when a small amount of water reaches the lungs, causing it to build into a condition called pulmonary edema, resulting in extreme difficulty breathing.
#1: Drowning Doesn't Look Like it Does in the Movies
We all know the classic signs of drowning, right? Screaming, thrashing around, water flying everywhere? NOPE. Drowning is actually a deceptively quiet event, and often looks like a person floating upright in the water with their arms out laterally as they try to keep their heads above water. Or a person trying to swim in one direction but getting nowhere. Another way to tell is if they're desperately trying to roll onto their backs in order to breathe. There is no screaming, as drowning involves one's mouth being completely underwater. If you can scream, you can breathe. A tip is to ask someone if they're all right, and if there's no answer, you have only thirty seconds to get to them.
So, what’s the closest you’ve ever come to drowning? For more screaming and flailing top tens and deceptively quiet top fives, be sure to subscribe to Watchmojo.com.
