Amanda Lea: Extra Credit

Drowning On Dry Land
Water, sun, and summertime fun is something that everyone can look forward to. Kids and adults everywhere flock to pools and water parks seeking cool relief from the heat. However, this particular summer activity can turn deadly. Local lifeguards say that cuts, scrapes, and sunburns could be the least of your worries. Every year children and adolescents drown from situations that could have been prevented.
“All summer long we see kids who can’t swim left alone in the pool with floaties and rings while their parents lay out,” says a lifeguard at one of Springfield’s city pools, “I’ve had to jump in twice because kids get overturned in those things and can’t get up.”
To make matters worse, lifeguards say that there is one big pool related threat that most people don’t even know about. The threat they are referring to is called a secondary-drowning, sometimes known as a “dry drowning.” This usually occurs after a near-drowning event, when a severe muscle spasm of the larynx, an area around the voice box, closes preventing aspiration of water and respiration.
“I think a dry drowning is important for people to know about because it’s not necessarily something a lifeguard can stop,” says Emilie Skarda, 22, a lifeguard at a local country club.
The reason guards can’t stop these drownings from occurring is because they usually happen long after the person has left the pool. Near-drowning happens at the pool when a person is submerged under water long enough that they require CPR after being pulled out. A person can literally drown from water left on their lungs up to 72 hours after being revived. Even though the victim may escape from drowning under water, they’re still at risk.
“The reason people cough after they nearly drown is because of fluid in their lungs,” says Skarda, “they can drown hours after they leave the pool because of the water they took in.”
Guards say that the reason people don’t notice this is because usually the person appears to be perfectly fine. However, both guards said that severe coughing, fever, cold skin, and pale appearance are all signs to looks for.
American Red Cross lifeguards are all trained to instruct someone call 911 for all drowning victims before they even enter the pool. They advise for all people who have near-drownings to be checked out by a doctor immediately, even if you appear to be ok.
“It is almost better to have a near-drowning when a lifeguard is present because we know what to do and we can warn victims of stuff that can happen after,” says Skarda, “I don’t think most people would ever know about it if it happened at a pool of their own.”