> To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the No. 2 cause of accidental death in children, ages 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents)—of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult.
> 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult.
This stat always rubs me the wrong way. It paints the image of a parent watching their child drown, but I imagine it's pretty easy to be within 25 yards of the pool and have no visibility to the pool.
I don’t think it is meant to imply parents purposefully watch their kids drown. It is more of a warning that drowning isn’t obvious and can be silent. You might lay next to the pool and think you could rescue your kid at anytime, it is just a couple of meters away. But your kid may never shout for help because it is struggling to breath and stay afloat.
I watched a video of a life guard jumping into a large crowded pool, swimming towards a certain location. Even though I knew somebody is drowning there, my untrained eyes couldn’t spot the drowning person until the life guard almost reached the child. Everyone next to the child was completely oblivious and looked funny at the lifeguard wondering why he is swimming towards them.
http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/family/2013...
> To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the No. 2 cause of accidental death in children, ages 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents)—of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult.