(Singing): Am I drowning, Am I drowning?
Go underwater.
Can't breathe.
Die.
That's drowning basically
But a lot of people don't realise there's actually more to it than that
Welcome to watch WatchMojo's top 5 facts.
Today's installment; we're counting down the scariest, most surprising facts about drowning
*sad music*
Number 5: Salt water and fresh water kill you differently
Neville: Well there is some debate among herbologists as to the effect of fresh water vs salt water but-
Harry: You're telling me there's an hour? You must be joking!
Drowning is drowning right?
Wrong.
So pay attention.
*Horror Music*
*Screaming*
90% of all drownings occur in fresh water.
And there are very good, scientific reasons for that.
First, swimming pools are considered fresh water, so there's a big chunk of them right there
Secondly, fresh water kills you faster than salt water.
When you inhale fresh water, it seeps into your blood stream or dilutes your plasma
Causing red blood cells to burst, leading to massive organ failure.
Girl: Hold on!
Guy: *coughing*
Salt water has the opposite effect, thickening your blood
So your lungs quickly fill up with plasma, eventually drowning you in your own liquids
In the end, salt water will stop your heart in about 8-10 minutes
While fresh water will do it in about 2-3 minutes
Sam: And I'm coming with you!
Frodo: You can't swim!
Number 4: It's a leading cause of unintentional injury/death in children
Tameka Raymond: I was mad because I was like, how did this happen?
Tameka Raymon: Who was watching him, why was my son underwater for, you know, nearly 3 minutes?
While you wouldn't think of it as such, water is actually extremely dangerous
And often, due to neglect or carelessness
Drowning has become one of the leading causes of unintentional injury/death throughout the world
Drowning accounts for 7% of all injury related deaths
Roughly 372,000 deaths per year, according to WHO (World Health Organization)
That means over a thousand people per day die from drowning
In the U.S. it is the second leading cause of accidental death in children under 14
Right behind traffic accidents
While in China it is by far the most common cause
Swim safe, kids!
Voiceover: It is important to always swim with a partner in a group of two or more every time
Voiceover: If one person gets into trouble it's best to have a buddy nearby who can call for help
Number 3: Drowning was once considered a classy form of execution
Yeah, believe it or not drowning was once considered a peaceful execution
The practice was prevalent in Middle Ages Europe and was often reserved for women or gentlemen
Who supposedly deserved a more noble or at least more gentle death
This practice ended in the 17th century, but not before some pretty infamous witch trials in Europe and New England
Women accused of being witches would be bound and thrown into water on the belief that witches would bob to the surface
While humans would sink
While they did try pulling the sinking women out, it would often result in a drowning anyhow
Lisa: Judge not lest he be judged
Crowd: *murmuring*
Chief Wiggum: The bible says a lot of things, shove her
Bart, Homer, Lisa: NOOOOOOOOO!!!!
Marge: Ahhhhhhh!
Number 2: It's possible to drown without even being in water
"You gotta be kidding me"
As if drowning wasn't terrifying enough
It is entirely possible to drown while in the middle of the Sahara
Well, if you took a swim in some oasis or something
Dry or secondary drowning happens long after you leave the water
Sometimes even hours later
Elizabeth: I can't breathe
Norrington: Yes, I'm a bit nervous myself
In dry drowning, breathing in water causes your vocal chords to spasm, closing up your throat
And blocking your airways
Secondary drowning is when small amounts of water reaches the lung
Causing it to build into a condition called pulmonary edema
Resulting in extreme difficulty breathing
Claire: Hey is your brother okay?
John: Huh? Oh he's fine
Jeremy: I can't breathe
Guy 2: What's that?
Jeremy: I can't breathe
Number 1: Drowning does not look like it does in the movies
Jinnie: Hanky, I can't swim!
Jinnie: Hanky! *runs to get help*
Hanky: Help!
We all know the signs of drowning, right?
Screaming, thrashing around, water flying everywhere
Well NOPE
Drowning's actually a deceptively quiet event
It often looks like a person floating upright in the water with their arms out laterally as they try to keep their heads above water
Or a person trying to swim in one direction but getting nowhere
Another way to tell is if they're desperately trying to roll onto their backs in order to breathe
And there's no sceaming, as drowning involves one's mouth being completely underwater
If you can scream, you can breathe
One tip is to ask if they're alright
And if there's no answer, you may have only thirty seconds to get to them
Rod: What happened?
Kevin: You almost drowned, Denise just gave you mouth to mouth to save you
Rod: (whispering) Did it look like we were making out?
Kevin: (whispering) A little bit
Rod: (whispering) Awesome