How Can You Avoid Drowning?

During a recent heat wave, Slovakia suffered an exceptionally tragic toll, with water claiming as many as 15 lives in the span of a single week [18,19].

According to police data, an average of approximately 100 to 130 people drown in Slovakia each year [6]. Most of these tragedies occur during the summer season, when the number of victims reaches 30 to 40 people per month [10]. These figures mean that summer drownings account for approximately one and a half to twice the average monthly number of traffic accident fatalities on our roads [6,10].

The Insidious Killer

Research from the United Kingdom even clearly shows that the number of drowning deaths increases by 7.2 percent for every one-degree Celsius rise in temperature [6]. This risk is also nearly five times higher on days when the temperature exceeds 25 degrees, compared to significantly cooler days [6].

From a global perspective, the World Health Organization notes that drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional death worldwide, claiming approximately 236,000 lives annually [11].

A look back at history reveals that several well-known figures met their end in the water. The famous writer Virginia Woolf, who was able to capture the profound aspects of human nature in great detail in her works, ultimately took her own life by drowning in 1941, despite her great success [5].

Among historical cases, there is also the well-known story of an unidentified girl whose body was recovered from the Seine River in Paris sometime in the 1870s or 1880s [17]. Although the case of the girl from the Seine was apparently a suicide, the police at the time were convinced that her face was far too perfect and serene for someone who had drowned [17].

As for accidental drownings, even famous people are not spared a tragic fate beneath the water’s surface, as evidenced by the recent tragic drowning of a young soccer player [18]. However, if we look at suicide by drowning purely from a statistical perspective, it is an extremely rare phenomenon, chosen as a means of death by only one person in 200 million [7].

How can we minimize the risk?

If we set history aside and look at recent summer tragedies, we find that the vast majority of victims are not poor swimmers, but rather people who unnecessarily overestimated their abilities [9]. By far the most common cause of drowning in Slovakia is alcohol consumption, which rapidly impairs judgment and physical coordination [11,16]. The numbers speak for themselves: alcohol is a statistically associated cause of drowning in as many as 70 percent of all cases [13].

Another major risk is sudden thermal shock, which occurs especially after a sudden plunge into cold water when the body is severely overheated [1,6].

Such an extreme bodily reaction can quickly lead to loss of consciousness, serious heart rhythm disturbances, or even fatal cardiac arrest [6]. An interesting statistical fact is that men are much more likely to drown, accounting for as many as eight out of ten victims due to their riskier behavior and tendency to overestimate their abilities [11].

Young children between the ages of one and four are also an extremely vulnerable group, with the highest drowning rate of all [11].

Tragedies often occur here as a result of just a momentary lapse in parental attention, since the youngest children lack the skills to survive in the water [11]. Another major threat is so-called dry drowning, which occurs when water enters the airways, causing a laryngeal spasm that subsequently closes the glottis [3].

To effectively prevent such a tragedy, it is essential to follow basic safety rules, including gradually acclimating the body to the water, starting from the extremities, moving through the torso, and ending with the head [6]. Never swim under the influence of alcohol, do not overestimate your physical condition, and never enter the water completely alone [8,10]. The “buddy system” and having another person watching over you can literally save your life in the event of a sudden accident [16].

Watch Out for Children

Naturally, you must pay increased and constant attention to children, who must not be left near the water without direct supervision, even for a very brief moment [6]. Experts recommend using only high-quality, certified life jackets for their safety, which are securely fastened with a strap between the legs [9,12]. Standard inflatable rings, foam boards, or children’s arm floats are intended solely for recreational use and in no way guarantee reliable protection against drowning [1,4].

If you find yourself in a crisis situation in the water, American lifeguards have developed a simple rule: roll onto your back, float freely, and let the current carry you [11]. The most important thing is not to panic, keep your head above water, and avoid wasting energy on a futile struggle against the powerful current [11]. If the current is pulling you away from the shore, do not swim directly toward the shore, but try to swim perpendicular to the direction of the current itself [11].

Conversely, if you witness someone else drowning, attempting to rescue them directly in the water is extremely dangerous for you [15]. A drowning person, in a state of extreme panic, may unintentionally grab the rescuer and pull them under the water, leading to a double tragedy [14]. In such a situation, it is much better and safer to immediately call for help by dialing the emergency number 112 and pass the victim a long object from the shore, such as a rope, a pole, or a lifebuoy [9,14].

List of References:

[1] Tragedies in the Water / Since Friday, police have recorded eight deaths in lakes https://www.postoj.sk/196565/dnes-treba-vediet

[2] Summer Fun by the Water: Watch Out for Dry Drowning https://www.nazdravie.sk/letne-radovanky-pri-vode-dajte-si-pozor-na-suche-utopenie

[3] Summer is a critical time. Child injuries are on the rise, doctor warns https://zdravie.pluska.sk/rodina-a-tehotenstvo/leto-je-kriticke-urazy-deti-su-beziacom-pase-lekarka-vystriha

[4] Heat waves increase the risk of water-related tragedies; police have recorded six deaths in...(3) https://post.sme.sk/tasr/c/horucavy-zvysuju-riziko-tragedii-vo-vode-policia-eviduje-sest-umrti-za-3

[5] Bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. 10 Historical Figures Who Struggled with Mental Illness https://emefka.sk/bipolarna-porucha-aj-schizofrenia-10-historickych-osobnosti-ktore-bojovali-s-dusevnymi-chorobami/2

[6] Heat waves increase the risk of drowning: Just one dip into cold water can send the body into shock https://www.netky.sk/clanok/horucavy-zvysuju-riziko-utopenia-staci-skok-do-studenej-vody-a-telo-moze-zazit-sok

[7] A lifeless body was found floating in Lake Domaša. It could be missing Natália from Vranov - Discussion https://korzar.sme.sk/presov/d/na-domasi-nasli-plavat-bezvladne-telo-mohlo-by-ist-o-nezvestnu-nataliu-z-vranova

[8] The number of drownings in Slovakia is rising: Why do people drown even in a calm lake? https://vysetrenie.zoznam.sk/cl/1000865/9433291/Mnozstvo-utopeni-na-Slovensku-stupa--Why-do-people-drown-even-in-a-calm-lake-

[9] Swimming Safety: How to Prevent Drowning and Risks in the Water? http://precitamsi.sk/bezpecnost-pri-kupani-ako-predchadzat-utopeniu-a-uzit-si-vodu-bez-rizika/tipy-triky

[10] Red Cross Warns: Heat Waves Increase the Risk of Drowning https://www.teraz.sk/najnovsie/sck-horucavy-zvysuju-riziko-utopen/981446-clanok.html

[11] 10 days, 7 drownings. How is it possible that so many people are suddenly drowning in Slovakia, and what should you do if you get into trouble in the water? https://refresher.cz/100104-10-days-7-drowning-victims-How-is-it-possible-that-so-many-people-are-suddenly-drowning-in-Slovakia-and-what-to-do-if-you-get-into-trouble-in-the-water

[12] How to Prevent Drowning and Other Water Accidents – European Economy https://www.econommy.eu/bezpecnost-pri-kupani-ako-zabranit-utopeniu-a-inym-nehodam-vo-vode

[13] When it comes to drowning, you also need to consider dry drowning and secondary drowning—what are the causes and what’s the difference? | Najmama.sk https://najmama.aktuality.sk/clanok/300803/pri-topeni-treba-mysliet-aj-na-suche-a-sekundarne-utopenie-ake-su-priciny-a-rozdiel

[14] Drowning Doesn’t Have to Look Dramatic: A Rescuer Advises on How to Recognize a Person in Danger – Denník Prospekt https://dennikprospekt.sk/news/drowning-doesn't-have-to-look-dramatic-lifeguard-advises-how-to-recognize-a-person-in-danger

[15] The number of drowning victims is rising every year. People are less active and worse swimmers, warns a lifeguard. Caution is also needed when hardening yourself to cold water - Domestic - News - pravda.sk https://www.pravda.sk/news/domestic/article/724462-water-dangers-lurk-even-in-winter-besides-overestimating-your-abilities-watch-out-for-hypothermia-too

[16] Protecting Lives: A Guide to Drowning Prevention https://www.fspa-pool.com/sk/news/protecting-lives-a-guide-to-drowning-prevention

[17] Death Masks—An Unconventional Collectible on the Rise - Sběratel https://www.sberatel.info/clanky/posmrtne-masky-netradicni-sberatelska-oblast-na-vzestupu

[18] Heatwave in Slovakia Claims 15 Victims: A 25-Year-Old Man Drowned Near Levoča - Domestic - News - pravda.sk https://www.pravda.sk/news/domestic/article/820777-heatwave-in-slovakia-has-already-claimed-15-lives-a-25-year-old-man-drowned-near-levoča

[19] An EXTREMELY tragic start to the summer: 15 people drowned in just one week! Experts and police are sounding the alarm https://www.topky.sk/cl/10/9433333/MIMORIADNE-tragicky-uvod-leta--Behom-jedneho-tyzdna-sa-utopilo-15-ludi--Experts-and-police-sound-the-alarm