People tend to think they know what drowning looks like from watching movies and reading books. But someone who’s in aquatic distress may give little-to-no warning that it’s even happening. So how do you know if someone actually does need help in the water? Below are a few of the signs.
No call for help
It is rare that an actively drowning person is capable of calling out for help. That’s because their body is trying to concentrate on breathing, which must be accomplished before they can speak. Instead, the person becomes engaged in what is known as the Instinctive Drowning Response.
The Instinctive Drowning Response
The Instinctive Drowning Response is what people do automatically to avoid drowning. Some of the elements of this behavior are:
- Lack of waving. It’s very unlikely that a drowning person will wave for a rescue. Instead, they instinctively push their arms into the water in an attempt to keep their heads above the surface.
- Lack of splashing. Drowning is not the dramatic event you may have been led to believe. The water around the potential drowning victim may appear quite calm, because splashing results when a person is able to forcefully move their arms and kick with their legs. Someone who is drowning may or may not be able to do this.