A family vacation takes a deadly turn, and now a wife wants to save others from a ‘shallow water blackout.’ What might have started as a carefree game of holding breath underwater quickly spiraled into a life-threatening situation.
Amid a serene summer day at a North Carolina island resort, Erin Watson and her husband Chandler, along with his family, engaged in a familiar challenge: swimming the length of the pool without surfacing for air. It’s a game they had played so many times while on family vacations in the past. With laughter and excitement echoing through the air, Chandler, vibrant and full of energy, eagerly accepted the challenge.
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However, as he reached the far end of the pool and remained submerged, what began as innocent fun took a perilous turn. Bubbles emerged at the water's surface, initially dismissed as part of the game. Yet, as seconds turned into agonizing minutes, the jovial atmosphere dissolved into fear and panic as Chandler's loved ones realized the gravity of the situation unfolding before their eyes.
Chandler's mom grew increasingly anxious and hurried to the poolside, calling out to her husband in alarm. At first, Erin couldn't quite grasp the urgency of her mother-in-law’s reaction, but as Chandler's dad moved to pull him out of the water, Erin knew right away something was deathly wrong.
“The second his dad got him out of the water we could see his gray skin and blue lips. He was limp and lifeless. His dad checked his pulse and realized his heart had stopped, so he started performing CPR by the side of the pool.” Erin recalled.
God had the right people in the right place at the right time. Two doctors were also lounging by the pool that fateful day and rushed over to help as they knew seconds in a situation like this mattered. The doctors continued CPR while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. By then, Chandler had not breathed on his own in more than five minutes. All hope seemed lost. In a last-ditch effort, the paramedics used a defibrillator to try and shock his heart into starting. One paramedic suddenly shouted, "There's a pulse."
Chandler was then rushed to the hospital, where they learned he had fallen victim to ‘Shallow Water Drowning.’
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The phenomenon of shallow water drowning stems from the deceptive nature of holding one's breath, as Chandler did before submerging. This action tricks the mind by maintaining exceedingly low levels of carbon dioxide in the body, effectively hindering the brain's respiratory signals. Consequently, individuals may experience a sudden loss of consciousness, rendering them vulnerable to this silent peril called shallow water blackout.
The mortality rate associated with this type of incident exceeds 90% due to the absence of visible distress signals. Remarkably, this particular form of drowning unfolds four times faster than conventional drowning methods.
It's nothing short of a miracle that he is alive today, two years on from the incident. In a remarkable turn of events, God's grace intervened that fateful day, sparing Chandler's life from the brink of tragedy.
Chandler and his loved ones are on a mission to raise awareness about the dangers of shallow water drowning. Through their advocacy efforts, they aim to educate others about the silent peril lurking beneath the surface during seemingly innocent pool activities. Chandler's journey, marked by a clean bill of health following rigorous medical examinations, stands as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the remarkable power of faith.
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Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
h/t: Under Water Hypoxic Blackout Prevention
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Underwater Hypoxic Blackout Prevention