What Drowning Looks Like: The Quiet Signs

Drowning rarely looks like it does in movies. A person who is drowning usually can't shout or wave: their head is low in the water with the mouth at the surface, their body is upright, their arms press down at their sides, and they can slip under in less than a minute. As the CDC puts it, drowning happens in seconds and is often silent (opens in a new tab).

This guide shows you what to look for, so you can spot trouble early and act while there is still time.

Drowning is usually quiet

Most of us expect splashing and shouting. Real drowning is different.

• Children often slip under without a sound. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says that even people near or in the pool have reported hearing nothing out of the ordinary (opens in a new tab) during drowning incidents.
• People who are drowning can't call out. Retired Coast Guard rescue swimmer Mario Vittone, writing for the U.S. Army (opens in a new tab), explains the "instinctive drowning response" described by Dr. Francesco Pia. Except in rare cases, a drowning person is physically unable to call for help, because "breathing must be fulfilled before speech occurs."
• It happens fast. The same article says a person in this response can struggle at the surface for only 20 to 60 seconds before going under.

20-60 seconds

The signs of drowning

The American Red Cross says a swimmer needs help right away (opens in a new tab) if they:

• are not making forward progress in the water;
• are upright in the water but can't move or tread water;
• are motionless and face down in the water.

Vittone's article lists other signs to watch for:

• head low in the water, mouth at water level;
• head tilted back with mouth open;
• eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus, or eyes closed;
• hair over the forehead or eyes;
• body upright, not using the legs;
• hyperventilating or gasping;
• trying to swim in one direction but not getting anywhere;
• trying to roll over onto the back;
• looking like they are climbing an invisible ladder.

During the instinctive drowning response, the person's mouth sinks below and comes back above the surface. They can't wave, because their arms push out to the sides and press down on the water. They can't reach for a rope or a rescuer, and there is no supporting kick.

One simple check from the same article is to ask, "Are you all right?" If they can answer at all, they are probably OK. If they give you a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get them to safety.

Distress comes before drowning

Not everyone in trouble is silent at first. A person who is yelling and thrashing is in what Vittone calls aquatic distress. They are still in real danger. The difference is that, for a short time, they can often still help with their own rescue, for example by grabbing a rope, a ring buoy or a pool noodle you throw to them.

That makes distress the moment to act. Don't wait to see whether a struggling swimmer settles down. Shout for help, call 911 and reach or throw something that floats. Our guide to helping without going in explains how.

Children, teens and adults

Young children. Babies and toddlers can drown in very little water: the CPSC says a child can drown in as little as 2 inches (opens in a new tab), quickly and silently. The same page says most children who drowned in pools or spas had been missing for 5 minutes or less. That is why the Red Cross says that if a child is missing, check the water first (opens in a new tab): seconds count.

Vittone gives parents one more rule: children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, go to them and find out why.

Teens. The American Academy of Pediatrics says teens are at higher risk because they may overestimate their swimming skills, misjudge hazards or take impulsive risks (opens in a new tab). A strong swimmer can still get into trouble in a lake, a river or the ocean.

Adults. The CDC says alcohol is involved in up to 70% of deaths linked to water recreation (opens in a new tab) among teens and adults. Cold water adds another danger: the National Weather Service explains that sudden immersion causes involuntary gasping and rapid breathing (opens in a new tab) in the first minutes, which can quickly lead to drowning if water is inhaled.

Watch, don't just listen

Because drowning is quiet, you have to see it to stop it. That means someone has to be watching.

• Name a Water Watcher. Pool Safely describes a Water Watcher (opens in a new tab) as an adult whose only job is to watch children in the water, with no reading, texting or phone games.
• Keep watching when a lifeguard is on duty. Pool Safely notes that lifeguards may not see the whole pool, so parents should still act as Water Watchers.
• Stay close to young or weak swimmers. The AAP recommends that a supervising adult who can swim stay within arm's length (opens in a new tab) of infants, toddlers and weak swimmers.
• Take turns. At gatherings, the AAP suggests handing a water watcher card (opens in a new tab) to the next adult every 15 to 20 minutes.

Our guide on how to supervise kids around water covers touch supervision and handoffs in detail.

If you see these signs

1. Shout for help and alert the lifeguard if there is one.
2. Call 911, or point at one person and tell them to call.
3. Reach or throw something that floats from the edge. Don't go in. See Reach or Throw, Don't Go: How to Help Someone Who Is Drowning.
4. Once the person is out of the water, follow the steps in what to do in the first minutes. If they are not breathing, start CPR if you are trained.
5. Get them checked. Water Safety USA says anyone with symptoms after a drowning, such as coughing that won't stop, any loss of consciousness, chest pain, shortness of breath or confusion (opens in a new tab), should be seen by a medical professional.

What you can do today

• Print the poster below and put it up by your pool, at your camp or in your community center.
• Before the next swim, choose a Water Watcher and give them the card.
• Tell your children: "If you're in trouble, I might not hear you, so I'm going to keep watching."
• Test what you know with the Drowning myths quiz, then read drowning myths and facts.
• Book a CPR class. Our guide on where to learn CPR lists free and low-cost options.