Drowning

Drowning 

death or the terminal state resulting from acute insufficiency of the oxygen supply to the brain and other tissues when the air passages are filled with fluid; a variety of asphyxia. Death from drowning usually occurs three to five minutes after breathing has ceased and the blood has stopped flowing. Sudden death in the water may be from causes other than drowning (such as heart disease, cranial injury, or injury to the cervical segment of the spine), in which case the true cause of death is determined by a forensic medical examiner.

First aid for drowning, rendered at the site of the accident, is effective only during but not beyond the time of clinical death. Such aid consists of removal of the fluid from the air passages, artificial respiration, and cardiac massage. After the vital functions are restored, the victim must be kept under observation by a physician to prevent possible death caused, for example, by pulmonary edema.