The Catastrophic Nature of Near-Drowning Injuries

During the warmer months, parents often plan water activities to keep their children entertained and cool. Whether at a local swimming pool, city lake, or water park with vigilant lifeguards, it is crucial to be aware of the potential dangers of drowning and near-drowning incidents.

What are near-drowning injuries?

Most people know that drowning is when a person is underwater for too long and can no longer breathe or receive oxygen, causing them to die as a result. However, many people do not give much thought to near-drowning injuries. According to Healthline Media, near-drowning is “a term typically used to describe almost dying from suffocating underwater.” Therefore, if an individual has near-drowning injuries, they have injuries that cause them to almost drown or suffer a near-death experience from suffocating under the water. While anyone can nearly drown, most of these accidents happen to young children.

Examples of near-drowning accidents and injuries in Seattle

There are many different types of accidents and injuries that can occur and lead to drowning or near drowning, such as:

Becoming unconscious underwater

A child may dive into the shallow end of the pool and strike their head on the bottom. When a child hits their head on the bottom of a pool, they may suffer a fractured skull, traumatic brain injury, or bleeding on the brain. It is common for individuals with these types of injuries to lose consciousness, which means that your child could lose consciousness while underwater, placing them at risk of drowning or near drowning.

Young children falling into the water

A toddler who does not know how to swim may run toward the lake and fall in. Most of the time, toddlers and young children should wear life jackets at the lake because they do not know how to swim or cannot swim well. As frightening as it is, if you turn your back for even one minute, your toddler may have already made it to the lake and fallen in.

Getting stuck underwater

Your child’s hair, swimsuit, or limb could become stuck in a pool drain. Pool drains usually have a suction opening, which could be too strong or intense for your child to pull away. When this happens, the child may become stuck underwater, resulting in a near-drowning accident. In open water, seaweed can entrap a child and cause a similar risk.

Rowdy behavior

Children may become disorderly or rambunctious at a waterpark. Waterparks are exciting and thrilling experiences for children. Your child may have plans to make their way around the entire water park and go down every slide, but if other children become disorderly or rambunctious, it can cause a near-drowning accident. For example, if your child goes down a waterslide and another child goes down right after them without waiting for their turn, they may slam into your child. This can cause various injuries, such as a concussion or broken bones, which can lead to nearly drowning.

What happens to the body during a near-drowning accident?

When a person experiences a near-drowning accident, liquid quickly begins to enter their lungs, and the body is no longer able to receive any oxygen. Depending on how long this lasts, the brain and other vital organs may begin shutting down due to the lack of oxygen. While adults can usually withstand this for a couple of minutes, young children usually only have a few seconds before this starts happening. While it is possible to save a child from a near-drowning accident, it is important to know that they may suffer from long-term complications and disabilities for several months, years, or even for the rest of their lives.

Symptoms of nearly drowning

Parents and guardians are typically aware of the most common symptom of drowning or nearly drowning, which is being unresponsive. However, there are several other symptoms that you should look out for to determine whether your child was underwater for too long and may have nearly drowned. Here are a few of the symptoms:

• Cold skin
• Blue lips or skin
• Nausea or vomiting
• Chest pains
• Coughing or wheezing
• Trouble breathing
• Swelling in the abdomen or stomach area
• Confusion or disorientation
• Changes in heart rate or pulse

Immediate medical attention is crucial even if the child appears responsive. Delays in treatment can increase the risk of long-term complications.

What type of complications and disabilities may arise from nearly drowning?

Complications and disabilities are quite common after nearly drowning. However, the types and severity of the complications and disabilities that your child may suffer typically depend on how long they are without oxygen. The following are some of the complications and disabilities that may arise from a near-drowning accident:

• Brain damage
• Pneumonia
• Organ damage or failure
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome
• Fluid and chemical imbalances
• Permanent disability, vegetative state, or inability to self-care.

The Seattle personal injury lawyers at Smith McBroom are equipped and prepared to manage swimming, drowning, and near-drowning accident lawsuits. We take these types of cases very seriously and will do everything possible to ensure that you never have to pay for the damages from an accident that you did not cause. If you are ready to get started, call our office or submit our contact form to schedule a confidential meeting with our attorneys in Tukwila today.