Noway
Montana
- Joined
- Apr 2, 2008
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If water enters the airways of a conscious victim the victim will try to cough up the water or swallow it thus inhaling more water involuntarily. Upon water entering the airways, both conscious and unconscious victims experience laryngospasm that is the larynx or the vocal cords in the throat constrict and seal the air tube. This prevents water from entering the lungs. Because of this laryngospasm, water enters the stomach in the initial phase of drowning and very little water enters the lungs. Unfortunately, this can interfere with air entering the lungs, too. In most victims, the laryngospasm relaxes some time after unconsciousness and water can enter the lungs causing a "wet drowning". However, about 10-15% of victims maintain this seal until cardiac arrest, this is called "dry drowning" as no water enters the lungs. In forensic pathology, water in the lungs indicates that the victim was still alive at the point of submersion. Absence of water in the lungs may be either a dry drowning or indicates a death before submersion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drowning
I don't know about the floating/sinking. Children who drown in swimming pools are often found face down floating in the pool, so I'm not sure whether floating has anything to do with drowning. No expert here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drowning
I don't know about the floating/sinking. Children who drown in swimming pools are often found face down floating in the pool, so I'm not sure whether floating has anything to do with drowning. No expert here.