WOODRUFF, WI (OnFocus) – As families head to lakes, rivers, and pools, a local trauma expert is reminding everyone that drowning is often fast, silent, and far more common than many realize.
World Drowning Prevention Day, observed annually on July 25, highlights the urgent need for water safety education. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 4,000 fatal unintentional drownings occur in the United States each year. That’s about 11 deaths per day. An additional 8,000 nonfatal drownings are treated in emergency departments annually.
“The biggest thing we want to make people aware of is that drowning doesn’t look like you think it does,” said Michael Fraley, Trauma Registrar at Aspirus Health and Team Leader of the Oneida County Public Safety Dive Team. “It doesn’t look like what we see on television or in movies, or even in cartoons. It’s a really silent action. People aren’t able to make noise when they’re drowning… they can’t breathe, so they can’t make noise.”
Fraley noted that a drowning person typically won’t wave or scream for help. Instead, they’re typically upright in the water and struggling to stay afloat. “If they’re still moving in a swimming position, they’re probably okay,” he said. “But if they’re upright and not being effective or efficient, that’s concerning.”
In most cases, bystanders have less than a minute to respond when someone is in distress in the water. According to Fraley, a drowning person can submerge in as little as 20 to 60 seconds after showing signs of struggle. Immediate action is critical. The safest approach is to use a rescue aid, such as a life jacket, swim buoy, or even a pool noodle, to extend flotation to the person without putting the rescuer at risk. Public beaches and pools often have designated rescue equipment nearby, and knowing where these are located can save valuable time in an emergency.
Children are especially vulnerable. Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages one to four, according to the CDC, and the second leading cause of unintentional injury death for kids five to 14.
Fraley also leads the Oneida County Public Safety Dive Team, a group formed after a local drowning tragedy. With over 1,100 lakes in Oneida County alone, the team plays a critical role in underwater rescue and recovery efforts.
“All of our divers go through open water dive training,” Fraley said. “We train them to use dry suits, dive at night and in low visibility, do deep diving, ice diving… It takes almost a full year to get a new diver on board and fully trained.”
This World Drowning Prevention Day, Fraley hopes people take a moment to recognize how quickly drowning can happen and how being prepared and informed can save lives.
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Author: News Desk
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