Glossary
Instinctive drowning response
The body's automatic reaction when drowning: the person stays upright, can't call out or wave, and may go under within a minute.
The instinctive drowning response is what the body does automatically when a person is drowning. It looks nothing like the splashing and shouting in movies. As described by Francesco Pia in the Coast Guard's On Scene magazine and explained by a retired Coast Guard rescue swimmer in an article published by the U.S. Army (opens in a new tab):
- the person usually cannot call for help, because breathing comes first;
- they cannot wave, because their arms press down on the water;
- their mouth bobs at the surface and their body stays upright;
- unless rescued, they can struggle at the surface for only 20 to 60 seconds before going under.
The CDC (opens in a new tab) agrees that drowning is often silent. That is why a Water Watcher must look, not listen. Someone yelling and thrashing is in aquatic distress and still needs help fast. See what drowning looks like and the Drowning Is Quiet.
What you can do today: watch a swimmer you are supervising for one full minute without looking away, and notice how hard silent trouble would be to spot.