What to Do If Someone Is Drowning? Emergency Actions That Save Lives

A drowning emergency is a terrifying, fast-moving situation where every single second counts. Drowning occurs when a person's airway is submerged under water or another liquid, preventing them from breathing oxygen. Contrary to popular media portrayals, drowning is often silent and swift, taking place in as little as twenty to sixty seconds. Knowing how to recognize a drowning victim and taking immediate, correct emergency actions can prevent irreversible neurological damage and save a human life.

Why acting fast matters

Oxygen deprivation begins damaging brain cells within four to six minutes of submersion. When a drowning victim stops breathing, their heart will soon stop beating due to acute hypoxia. Rapid intervention restores crucial oxygen flow to the brain and heart, dramatically increasing the odds of survival and complete recovery. Furthermore, immediate rescue minimizes the risk of severe pulmonary complications, such as adult respiratory distress syndrome, caused by water entering the lungs.

Mistakes to avoid

• Jumping into dangerous water without flotation gear: Entering rough, deep, or fast-moving water without training often leads to double drownings where the rescuer becomes a victim.
• Delaying the emergency call: Never assume someone else called 911; call immediately before attempting a complex rescue.
• Performing abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver): Pushing on the abdomen to force out water is ineffective, delays CPR, and causes dangerous vomiting.
• Stopping CPR too early: Continue resuscitation until medical personnel arrive, an AED is ready, or the victim shows clear signs of life.
• Skipping post-rescue medical evaluation: Even if a victim revives quickly and seems completely fine, secondary lung complications can develop hours later.

What to do step by step

Step 1: Assess the scene and call for emergency assistance. Quickly evaluate the environment for hazards such as electrical wires or dangerous currents. Direct a specific bystander to call 911 and retrieve an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and first aid kit if available. If you are alone, call emergency services immediately before starting the rescue.

Step 2: Reach or throw, do not go. Avoid entering the water if possible. Use the safest method to assist the victim: reach out with a pole, branch, or towel, or throw a floating object attached to a rope, such as a life ring or safety cushion. Only swim out to the victim if you are a trained swimmer, and always bring a flotation device with you.

Step 3: Carefully remove the person from the water. Pull the victim out of the water while keeping their head, neck, and spine aligned as much as possible, especially if a diving accident or spinal injury is suspected. Place them on a flat, firm surface on their back.

Step 4: Check for breathing and responsiveness. Tap their shoulders firmly and shout, "Are you okay?" Look at their chest for movement and listen for normal breathing for no more than ten seconds. Ignore gasping sounds, as agonal breathing is not normal breathing.

Step 5: Perform CPR tailored for drowning victims. Traditional cardiac arrest CPR starts with chest compressions, but drowning CPR prioritizes ventilation. If the victim is not breathing, tilt their head back slightly, lift the chin, and deliver 2 to 5 rescue breaths. If there is no response, give 30 chest compressions pressed deep in the center of the chest at a rate of 100 to 120 beats per minute. Alternate between 2 rescue breaths and 30 compressions until help arrives.

Step 6: Use an AED if available. Wipe the victim's chest dry before applying AED electrode pads. Follow the automated voice prompts carefully, ensuring no one touches the person while the device analyzes the heart rhythm or delivers a shock.

Step 7: Place in the recovery position if breathing resumes. If the person resumes normal breathing, carefully roll them onto their side in the recovery position to prevent choking on vomited water. Keep them covered with dry clothes or blankets to prevent hypothermia while waiting for paramedics.

How to prevent it

Preventing drowning requires active layers of protection. Maintain constant, distraction-free visual supervision over children anytime they are in or near water. Install four-sided isolation fencing around residential pools with self-closing and self-latching gates. Always wear properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets while boating or engaging in open-water activities. Lastly, enroll family members in formal swimming lessons and complete formal CPR certification courses.

Frequently asked questions

Why start with rescue breaths during drowning CPR?

Unlike cardiac arrest caused by heart disease, drowning is primarily a respiratory arrest emergency. The victim's blood oxygen supply is critically depleted from suffocation, so delivering rescue breaths first restores essential oxygen levels to protect the brain and vital organs.

What is secondary drowning and what symptoms should you watch for?

Secondary or delayed drowning happens when even a small amount of inhaled water causes pulmonary edema, leading to fluid buildup in the lungs hours after swimming. Watch for persistent coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, extreme fatigue, and changes in behavior, and seek immediate emergency care if these occur.

Should you try to clear water from a drowning victim's lungs?

No, you should never try to drain or squeeze water out of a victim's lungs. Most drowning victims swallow large amounts of water into their stomach, but only small amounts enter the lungs. Standard CPR compressions and rescue breaths are sufficient to restore oxygen without causing dangerous aspiration.

Protect your loved ones today by enrolling in a certified local CPR and water safety training program.