A study on multiple drowning syndromes

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Non-intentional drowning is a global mortality cause, with a subset of incidents involving secondary drownings during rescue attempts.
• These 'rescuers' who attempt altruistic rescues may tragically drown, leading to multiple fatalities within a single event.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define and examine multiple drowning syndromes (MDSs).
• To identify risk factors and patterns in rescuer drownings.
• To propose preventative strategies for MDSs.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of drowning incidents from 2009.
• Data collection via internet search engines to identify cases of rescuer fatalities during rescue attempts.
• Analysis of victim demographics, relationship between victims and rescuers, and rescue outcomes.

Main Results:

• Twenty-eight incidents involved 31 'rescuers' and 20 primary drowning victims (PDVs).
• Children constituted 80% of primary drowning victims (DPVs) and 48.4% of rescuers.
• Rescuers successfully saved the PDV in 48.4% of cases; friends/colleagues comprised 38.7% of these pairs.

Conclusions:

• Multiple drowning syndromes represent a significant, often overlooked, aspect of drowning fatalities.
• Children are particularly vulnerable as both primary victims and rescuers.
• Promoting swimming proficiency and rescue skills is crucial for reducing MDSs and improving water safety.