How Drowning Works

According to the World Health Organization, drowning is one of the leading causes of death all around the globe. Drowning happens when a person cannot breathe due to being submerged in a liquid. However, there is more than one way that a person can drown.

Dry Drowning

As a person is submerged in water, they sink and become severely unconscious, but they still have the breathing stimulus. As they try to draw in air, water enters their throat and closes the epiglottis, causing water to go to the stomach. In this case, the person starts to suffocate, and there is usually little or no water present in the lungs.

Freshwater Drowning

When freshwater enters the lungs, it can quickly make its way into the bloodstream. The water dilutes the blood and disrupts its composition. The body can handle small disruptions, but severe disturbances can lead to cardiac arrest. In most cases, it occurs within the first five minutes of rescuing.

Saltwater Drowning

The effects of saltwater drowning are opposite to those of freshwater. As saltwater enters the lungs, it draws as much water as it can from the blood and makes the blood thicker. The viscous blood has a hard time flowing through the blood vessels and causes the heart rate to slow down, eventually leading to cardiac arrest. In saltwater drowning cases, cardiac arrest can occur within 12 minutes after the person is rescued.

Secondary Drowning

Secondary drowning occurs when a person is fully recovered and breathing normally again. Still, excess water in the body makes its way to the bloodstream and causes symptoms similar to drowning.

Even after a person is rescued and properly revived, the next 72 hours are critical. If water has entered the body, it can still make its way from the stomach or the lungs to the bloodstream, thus disrupting the blood composition. It is important to have excess water removed from the body, even if the person looks and feels fine.

How Life Vests Work

Imagine you dropped a fully inflated beach ball into a pool of water; it will float. Even if you force it down to sink, it will pop back up to the surface. Now take a bowling ball of a similar size and drop it in the water; it will surely sink.

The force you experience when pushing a beach ball into the water is called buoyant force. Water exerts this force on every object. This is why we feel lighter when we are in a pool or a bathtub.

Whenever a solid body comes in contact with a body of water, it displaces water. If the amount of water displaced by an object is less than its weight, the object will float above the surface, and if the object displaces more water than its weight, it will sink. Objects that displace water equal to their weight will also float at the surface due to the forces of water pushing them upwards.

A life jacket is usually made of lightweight foam and polyester. These materials can trap air when submerged in the water. The trapped air, much like in a beach ball, weighs much less than the water it displaces. This means that water pushes a life jacket up harder than it pushes down, resulting in the life jacket staying afloat.

Since our bodies are mostly water, according to the Life Jacket Association, we usually only need somewhere between seven to twelve pounds of additional buoyancy to stay afloat. A typical life jacket provides around 15 to 22 pounds of additional buoyancy.

Can I Drown With A Life Jacket On?

Unfortunately, many people believe that a life vest will make them invincible to water, and they cannot drown wearing one. We agree that life jackets can significantly reduce the risk of drowning, but they certainly do not render it impossible.

As discussed above, life vests only serve as floatation devices that help you stay above the water's surface. There are certain conditions that life jackets cannot help you combat.

Rough Waters

It is essential to put on a life jacket before stepping into the water. But it is also important to remember that they cannot keep you protected if Mother Nature turns rough and violent. Those who find their thrill in turbulent whitewater are at the mercy of the currents and the water.

If the water is rough enough, it can lead to flush drowning, in which the strong waves and currents cause the swimmer to fall unconscious by repeated submersion and resurfacing. The unconscious person can inhale significant amounts of water and drown. As the turbulence of the water increases, so do the chances of flush drowning.

Similarly, rough waters can lead to constant exposure to waves, spray, or disorientation, compromising the respiratory system. In such a case, water obstructs the airways, leading to drowning. This is one of the most common causes of drowning among experienced swimmers.

Life jackets are good at providing buoyancy but are not made to face conditions such as these. They will not shield a person from currents or large waves coming from all directions. This is why whitewater adventure seekers, such as kayakers, need to take strong precautions. Just one wrong move and they can end up in serious trouble.

Unconsciousness

As discussed above, flush drowning may cause a person to fall unconscious, leading to blockage of the airways or water entering the lungs. However, unconsciousness in the water is a danger on its own. For instance, if someone is swimming in calm waters but accidentally gets a strong blow to their head, they can fall unconscious and not keep their head above the water surface.

With a life vest on, they will remain at the surface. But if they are face down in the water, or even face up with their neck tilted far back, water will cover their nose and mouth, enter their bodies, and prevent them from breathing.

Putting on a life jacket will keep the person afloat and increase the chances of survival. Still, there is no guarantee that they will save an unconscious person from drowning by inhaling or ingesting huge amounts of water.

There is only a brief window of four to six minutes that one can survive while inhaling water. Any more than that, and irreversible damages can occur. But even during the four to six-minute window, every second makes a huge difference.

Getting Trapped Underwater

Foot entrapments are quite common and usually happen in shallow waters. A person's foot can get stuck beneath the debris in the water, and the constant currents can cause them to lose their balance and fall. With their foot trapped, their mobility can be compromised, preventing them from resurfacing.

Although it is understandable that foot entrapments will occur in shallow waters, it does not mitigate the risk factor. With a strong enough current, you can get thrown off your feet and become trapped even in knee-high waters. Remember, you have a physical limit and can get exhausted, but the water does not. The current and waves will continue to run.

In this situation, life jackets might prevent you from getting trapped initially. But once you are entrapped or fall face down, vests offer no guarantee of preventing water from blocking your airways. In such a case, only those around you can help you get back on your feet.

But foot entrapments are not the only way to get trapped in the water. As rivers continue to flow for years, they can cause the rocky banks to erode and build pockets. If the current were to push you into one of these pockets, it could be very difficult to come back out of these pockets because you will have to win against the current pushing you back in.

Life jackets are more of a burden than a blessing in such a case. They might make it more difficult for you to fight the currents.

Hypothermia

One common thread that water adventurers often overlook is hypothermia. Even if it is at 60 or 70 Fahrenheit, prolonged exposure to cold water can lead to dire consequences. In severe cases, hypothermia can lead to a person losing consciousness, airway blockage, and other complications discussed above.

But it is not only unconsciousness that is a threat here. If the body loses significant amounts of heat, it can lead to multiple complications, proving fatal. Once a person's body temperature dips below 95°F, it only takes some time from then onwards.

Remember Jack in the movie Titanic? He did not drown or get trapped in the water. He passed away because the water was too cold, causing his body to lose heat and ultimately shut down all the vital organs. Even if he had a life jacket, he would still suffer the same fate.

Although called jackets, life jackets are not designed to keep you warm and cannot save a person from hypothermia.

Faulty Life Jackets

It is important to understand that no life jacket is built to last a lifetime. Like other swimming gear, they are prone to wear and tear, can lose their buoyancy, and become ineffective with time. A damaged life jacket will not be as efficient to keep you afloat.

Wearing a faulty life jacket will also exhaust you more because, with the compromised buoyancy of the life jacket, you will have to make most of the effort to keep yourself afloat. Exhaustion is also a threat when you are in the water. Without external assistance, an exhausted person can have a very difficult time when trying to reach safety.

It can be difficult to identify if a life jacket has completed its useful life because no life jacket ever comes with an expiration date. Jackets that are kept and stored properly will last considerably longer than those kept carelessly.

Generally speaking, the lifespan of a life jacket is approximately ten years, and it is always a good idea to replace them when they are a decade old. But your common sense and judgment will better let you know when it is time to invest in a new one.

Improper Fit

An oversized life jacket or one that has not been strapped on properly can slip off in strong currents. It is important to have the life jacket fit and snug around the body, even if it feels slightly uncomfortable. A properly fitting and secured life jacket would remain on you even if you were to plunge into rough waters.

Are Life Jackets Useful?

Yes, of course, they are! Just because they are not suited for some conditions, it does not render them useless. If we can emphasize this enough, you must wear your life jacket whenever heading to open waters. Wearing a life jacket can mean all the difference between life and death in difficult situations.

There is plenty of evidence that points to the fact that wearing a life jacket saves lives. According to research, nearly 85% of the drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket. This means that out of every five people who drowned, less than one of the victims was wearing a life jacket.

In an emergency or a crisis, you will hardly get a chance to grab your life jacket. Remember to keep it on whenever you are on any watercraft or in open waters. Situations can go southwards in the blink of an eye, and it is better to be safe than to be sorry.

You can be a world champion swimmer, but your skills will be no good if you fall unconscious. Any severe head trauma can get the better of you if you fall into the water. Your fate will depend on your life jacket and those around you in such a scenario.

How to Properly Use a Life Jacket

You are aware of several dangers associated with being in the water by now. Let us look at some ways to keep yourself safe from the dangers that can strike in the blink of an eye and maximize the utility  of the vest or any other of the myriad of personal flotation devices.

Ensure the Life Jacket Fits Properly

Despite the prevalence of the notion that life jackets come in a universal size that fits all, they are available in many different sizes and shapes. It is best to try on a few life jackets before selecting one that feels right for you.

We are often careless when selecting a life jacket and often rush through the process. But it is important to take your time to find one that is comfortable and snug enough that it will not come off even when encountering whitewater. Life jackets properly worn will save you, but ill fitting life jackets can cause you significant distress .

Frequently Inspect Your Life Jacket

It is important to test your life jacket frequently for its buoyancy. Generally speaking, you should have enough buoyancy in your life jacket so that it allows you to keep your chin above the water effortlessly. If your life jacket is not able to fulfill this requirement for any reason, it is time to toss it and get a new one. The Coast Guard certifies some personal flotation devices, and wearing pfds approved by the Coast Guard can help ,you maximize your water safety.

To maximize the life of your life jacket, make sure to follow the following tips:

• Please do not leave them lying out in the sun for too long. With constant exposure to the sun, the ultraviolet rays can damage the life jacket's material. It is best to dry and store them in the shade.
• Do not put heavy items on them. The buoyant material can get damaged due to weight compression. It can be very tempting to toss the life jacket into the storage area, especially after an exhaustive day full of adventure. But remember to overcome this urge and store the jacket properly.
• Avoid using any harsh cleaners on the jacket. You will most probably be able to clean it using simple water. But you can use some mild detergents diluted with water for stubborn areas.