Drowning terminology hung out to dry
23 June 2017
Drowning is ‘the process whereby a person experiences respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid’.
This means that when a person drowns, the airway is blocked by water or another liquid, and this prevents them from
breathing.
Drowning events may be differentiated as ‘fatal’ or ‘non-fatal’, depending on whether the person lives or dies as a
result of the event.
Jonathon Webber, the New Zealand Resuscitation Council’s expert on drowning, warns that other terms are unhelpful and
should not be used. ‘Dry drowning’ is one example of a term that has featured in recent media reports to describe
complications that result in death some time after someone has experienced distress in the water, but which may or may
not relate to drowning.
The New Zealand Resuscitation Council provides guidelines for first aid, including a guideline for management of
drowning. “Drowning is a process rather than an outcome”, says Webber. “As soon as a drowning person is out of the
water, there ends the drowning process.” He says that other terms including ‘secondary drowning’ and ‘near-drowning’ add
unnecessary complexity and can be misleading.
“What we’re most interested in is preventing these incidents from occurring in the first place, and all Kiwis knowing
what to do should they come across someone who is drowning,” says Webber. He also reminds parents and caregivers that
any child suspected of inhaling water must be seen by a doctor, and to immediately call 111 for an ambulance if the
child develops breathing difficulties at the time of the incident or some time after being in the water.
What to do if someone is drowning
Drowning is all too common in New Zealand, so it is important to know what to do if you recognise that someone is in
distress in the water. The management principles are to provide flotation and remove the person from the water if it is
safe to do so.
Once the person is safely out of the water, they may require care. Assess the person on their back. If the person is
unresponsive and not breathing normally, they need CPR. The ratio for CPR is 30 compressions to two rescue breaths.
Effective rescue breaths are essential where a person has drowned.
Further information about drowning and first aid guidelines can be found on the New Zealand Resuscitation Council’s
website at nzrc.org.nz.
END