Drowning: What Happens Moment by Moment

I lost my brother to the ocean. I couldn’t understand nor believe it because he was such a great swimmer. It was very difficult to watch this video but for the sake of understanding I am completely grateful.

My dad drowned as a kid. He said there was a lot of terror, but absolutely no pain. He lost consciousness but was rescued. He did not seem to suffer any lasting effects, he died at 94.

I had a non-fatal drowning when I was 18 from the ocean. I wasn’t even in ankle deep water when a wave came up behind me and pulled me under and out. I tried to come up and got hit with another wave that pulled me back under. The pain in my lungs from the salt water was so horrendous. I spent the whole day trying to calm down from it and I kept coughing up salty water.

Working at a funeral home I cared for some deceased people who had drowned. One person was only 17 years old and drowned at the bottom of a lake. I kept talking to him as I dressed him. It’s so sad to think about. I’ve always had a fear of deep water.

This is horrifying to learn. My niece had a non-fatal drowning at 4 yrs of age. Thankfully my brother was in the navy and new CPR. He saved his little girl. She is now 25 and married. Please learn CPR. You never know when you'll need it.

It's crazy to know that the brain sitting on the table was a single person's entire life. From the moment they were born it was every breath, happiness, sadness, tear, emotion, reaction, word, sight, smell, taste and everything they heard. Mindblowing.

My tennis partner in 7th grade died by drowning in her backyard pool. The filter suction at the bottom of the pool was so strong, it sucked in her hair and she never resurfaced alive. It's horrible to know what she went through. I'll never forget Marissa Smiley

I was anxious just watching this video, dude. Can't imagine the panic drowning victims actually experience.

I had a non-fatal drowning a few years back, and this is pretty accurate, but he did not mention that period of time where it is absolute peace. When you are exhausted and out of oxygen you exit that state of panic and go into what I call a trance, it was during this time that I knew I was drowning, but did not care. I was rescued shortly after and I still think about that moment sometimes.

I experienced this as a child. I remember every single second like it just happened. First was severe panic and terror. The second was the painful burn when I could no longer hold my breath and inhaled water for the first time. Then, there was a calmness that came over me as I'm looking up at the top of the water, but had no strength to even attempt to swing up. After this, it was the most feeling of euphoria. I watched as the bright daylight dimmed into darkness. Roughly 20 minutes later, I came to after a long process of CPR. I was very fortunate to have retained good brain function.

I lost 2 of my best friends on 21st September 2013. We all were 14 years old. A group of my friends left the school during lunch break and went to the river. I came back home and was eating when I heard my another friend's voice, who had survived (along with 3 or more survivors). He was panting and crying when he yelled my name outside my house. I went out and then he told me everything. I remember those times so clearly. I didn't knew how to respond after losing someone so close. After that I had tried sinking my head in the bucket to feel how they would've felt when they drowned. And this is one of my biggest fear. One of those 2 guys was so brilliant and ahead of all of us. In just short period of time, I had learnt alot from him, and I still miss him.

I nearly drowned, long time ago and can not forget the experience. I dove into a wave, hoping to come out on the other side of the water, instead it took me under. The water was murky and I could not tell which side was up or down. Trying to figure it out, I was loosing time but not thinking about it. Never had panic or thought I was dying. All of a sudden I stopped and calmness came over me. I never felt such peace in my life, then I saw my body undulating in the water. There was no panic or fear, then the next thing I know I was slammed on the shore. My bathing suit was on my ankles, etc. My panic was did anyone saw me. I pulled the fabric up, while coughing, in a few minutes I was fine. I went to tell people I was with, they were playing ball, and they told me, not now, not now. I walked away. I don't know how long water kept me but my brain was fine or has been, hopefully.

My sister passed away in August. She went tubing with her bf and they were both thrown off due to high tide. I can’t imagine what she went through in her last moments. It kills me inside and I just had to know

He’s so passionate about his studies that he probably doesn’t even realize he’s smiling while describing such a horrible process

Here is my testimony from a “near-fatal drowning” 2 years ago- and this is the first time i searched up what actually happens to our body when drowning. Thank you for creating this video. I was under water for 7 mins, i was standing by the beach at the ocean late at night with friends when a huge wave came over me and under my feet dragging me in, I remember encouraging myself to keep swimming, i was frantic, trying my hardest to swim and hold my breath. Then two or more big waves followed taking me in and i lost consciousness. My last thoughts were “God get me back to shore” and miraculously enough the water spit me back out and doctors were around and two of them gave me cpr, they rushed me to the hospital, apparently i was foaming in the mouth when getting cpr- which im not sure why or how that happens. And ALL GLORY TO GOD because i recovered from the pain on my chest and the water in my lungs in RECORD TIME. No damage to my organs, and all the doctors were in complete amazement. It truly was a miracle ❤

this video unlocked a memory of me (and my cousins) almost drowning in a pool because of my cousins clinging on to me when i was 13. that was such a scary experience. i was struggling to keep afloat because there were three kids clinging on to me and we were going towards deeper waters. luckily an adult saw us and brought us back to the shallow parts of the pool. the feeling of me gasping for air, me panicking, and my lungs hurting because i'm struggling is something i never want to experience again.

My Dad almost fatally drowned when he was a teenager. He was being stupid with a bunch of friends driving around after a massive rain, with FIVE people on a fourwheeler. The thing is, this wasn't an average big open stretch of road with puddles, this was hills on hills with valleys full of water. So, they were going along way too fast and they hit this deep valley, but because they were going so fast their front tires made it out, but with five people its back end it was way to heavy. Thing is, this was right before a very steep hill. So as per the laws of physics and gravity in general they flipped. My Dad was on the very back. Four people and a four wheeler slammed down on top of him. Needless to say all of the air in his lungs peaced out. He always says that he could see everyone on top of him trying to get up and out and inadvertently pushing him into the ground. He remembers black creeping in from the sides of his vision and thinking that this is how he was going to die. As to how he survived...That is thanks to his best friend who was on a different four wheeler. Five foot nothing with a runners build, he busted off of their four wheeler, ran over and LIFTED the four wheeler up and off of them with no help. My Dad remembers sudden relief of pressure and then being pulled out of the water by his best friend. People always talk about the mom picking up the car to save her baby. Life long best friends can do the exact same thing.

I fell in a river when I was 5 years old. I remember grasping at the side of the bank under water and clumps of soil tearing away as I frantically fought to survive. By the grace of God my uncle heard a splash and jumped in and saved me. The funny thing is, my uncle was an alcoholic but that day he wasn’t drinking.

Lost my son this year to a drowning accident - this video was hard to watch but well explained

My close cousin died of drowning just 5 months ago. Rest in peace, Sharim ❤, may Allah grant you Jannah.