The Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation USA is pleased to announce its support of Shallow Water Blackout Prevention to help raise awareness of the dangers of shallow water blackout and save lives!
Shallow water blackout is an underwater "faint" brought on by holding your breath for too long. Without immediate rescue, the swimmer quickly drowns.
SWBP goals:
WHAT: Shallow Water Blackout results from hypoxia (low oxygen) to the brain. What triggers one to breathe is elevation of carbon dioxide (CO2), not low oxygen (O2). One basically “blacks out” or faints in the water. For some, their lungs will take on water leading to drowning while others simply suffocate or die of other causes brought on by the breath-holding. **Death can be a result of the prolonged breath-holding, even if not from so called “Shallow Water Blackout.” Breath-holding may stimulate genetic triggers leading to various causes of death.
WHEN: Frequently, Shallow Water Blackout occurs WITHOUT ANY WARNING of its onset. In fact, because of the hypoxia and detached mental state one can feel euphoric and empowered to continue breath-holding. Unlike regular drowning where there can be 6-8 minutes before brain damage and death, there are ONLY about 2 ½ minutes before BRAIN DAMAGE then DEATH with SWB because the brain has already been oxygen deprived coupled with warm water as in swimming pools, hastening brain death.
WHERE: Shallow Water Blackout can occur in any body of water (pool, lake, river, ocean or bath tub) when breath-holding under water, regardless of water depth. Even if lifeguards are on duty, there is still a great risk because it is hard to detect from above the water.
WHY: Shallow Water Blackout occurs because of the LACK OF EDUCATION, AWARENESS, and UNDERSTANDING of the dangers of breath-holding. It also occurs because of the lack of safety training for swimmers, freedivers, snorkelers, and spearfishermen. The breath-holders do not understand how to prevent Shallow Water Blackout or how to survive if it happens to them. Unfortunately, training does not inoculate one against SWB. All too often trained freedivers succumb.
www.shallowwaterblackoutprevention.org
Shallow water blackout is an underwater "faint" brought on by holding your breath for too long. Without immediate rescue, the swimmer quickly drowns.
SWBP goals:
- To ban prolonged breath-holding in pools for the general public.
- To educate parents and children on the risks and dangers of underwater breath-holding and the dangers of breath-holding games.
- To advocate for warning tags on the dangers and risks of underwater breath-holding on all freediving, spearfishing, and snorkeling equipment.
- To encourage all freedivers and spearfishers to receive safety training.
WHAT: Shallow Water Blackout results from hypoxia (low oxygen) to the brain. What triggers one to breathe is elevation of carbon dioxide (CO2), not low oxygen (O2). One basically “blacks out” or faints in the water. For some, their lungs will take on water leading to drowning while others simply suffocate or die of other causes brought on by the breath-holding. **Death can be a result of the prolonged breath-holding, even if not from so called “Shallow Water Blackout.” Breath-holding may stimulate genetic triggers leading to various causes of death.
WHEN: Frequently, Shallow Water Blackout occurs WITHOUT ANY WARNING of its onset. In fact, because of the hypoxia and detached mental state one can feel euphoric and empowered to continue breath-holding. Unlike regular drowning where there can be 6-8 minutes before brain damage and death, there are ONLY about 2 ½ minutes before BRAIN DAMAGE then DEATH with SWB because the brain has already been oxygen deprived coupled with warm water as in swimming pools, hastening brain death.
WHERE: Shallow Water Blackout can occur in any body of water (pool, lake, river, ocean or bath tub) when breath-holding under water, regardless of water depth. Even if lifeguards are on duty, there is still a great risk because it is hard to detect from above the water.
WHY: Shallow Water Blackout occurs because of the LACK OF EDUCATION, AWARENESS, and UNDERSTANDING of the dangers of breath-holding. It also occurs because of the lack of safety training for swimmers, freedivers, snorkelers, and spearfishermen. The breath-holders do not understand how to prevent Shallow Water Blackout or how to survive if it happens to them. Unfortunately, training does not inoculate one against SWB. All too often trained freedivers succumb.
www.shallowwaterblackoutprevention.org