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Near drowning

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Drowning - near

First Aid:

When someone is drowning:

• Extend a long pole or branch to the person, or use a throw rope attached to a buoyant object, such as a life ring or life jacket. Toss it to the person, then pull him or her to shore.
• People who have fallen through ice may not be able to grasp objects within their reach or hold on while being pulled to safety.
• Do not place yourself in danger. Do NOT get into the water or go out onto ice unless your are absolutely sure it is safe.
• If you are trained in rescuing people, do so immediately if you are absolutely sure it will not cause you harm.

If the victim's breathing has stopped, begin rescue breaths as soon as you can. This often means starting the breathing process while still in the water.

Continue to breathe for the person every few seconds while moving them to dry land. Once on land, give CPR if needed. For step-by-step instructions on rescue breathing, see the article on CPR .

Always use caution when moving a drowning victim. Assume that the person may have a neck or spine injury, and avoid turning or bending the neck. Keep the head and neck very still during CPR and while moving the person. You can tape the head to a backboard or stretcher, or secure the neck by placing rolled towels or other objects around it.

Follow these additional steps:

• Keep the person calm and still. Seek medical help immediately.
• Remove any cold, wet clothes from the person and cover with something warm, if possible. This will help prevent hypothermia .
• Give first aid for any other serious injuries.
• The person may cough and have difficulty breathing onced breathing re-starts. Reassure the person until you get medical help.

Do Not:

• DO NOT go out on the ice to rescue a drowning person that you can reach with your arm or an extended object.
• DO NOT attempt a swimming rescue yourself unless you are trained in water rescue.
• DO NOT go into rough or turbulent water that may endanger you.
• The Heimlich maneuver is NOT part of the routine rescue of near-drowning victims. Do not perform the Heimlich maneuver unless repeated attempts to position the airway and to use rescue breathes to get air into the lungs have failed and you suspect the person’s airway is blocked. Performing the Heimlich maneuver increases the chances that an unconscious victim will vomit and subsequently choke on the vomit.

Call immediately for emergency medical assistance if:

If you cannot rescue the drowning person without endangering yourself, call for emergency medical assistance immediately. If you are trained and able to rescue the person, do so and then call for medical help.

All near-drowning victims should be checked by a doctor. Even though victims may revive quickly at the scene, lung complications are common.

• Review Date: 7/17/2006
• Reviewed By: Eric Perez, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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