Which best describes an active drowning person?

Which best describes an active drowning person?

• A. A person who can easily swim to safety
• B. A person blinking rapidly with panic
• C. A person struggling to keep their face above water, extending arms to sides, pressing down for support, and not making forward progress
• D. A person treading water calmly

Answer: (C)

Active drowning is a situation where the person is at the surface trying to breathe but cannot keep themselves above water, so their movements are aimed at staying afloat rather than moving to safety. You’ll typically see someone vertical in the water, head tilted back with the face at or near the surface, and arms extended out to the sides or pressing down on the water in an effort to lift themselves up. There’s little to no forward progress, and they’re relying on quick, survival-type movements rather than swimming toward safety. That description fits someone who is struggling to keep their face above water, extending the arms to the sides, pressing down for support, and not making forward progress. The other options don’t show this drowning pattern: a person who can easily swim to safety isn’t drowning; rapid blinking with panic isn’t the defining action of drowning; and calmly treading water indicates they’re not in distress.

Active drowning is a situation where the person is at the surface trying to breathe but cannot keep themselves above water, so their movements are aimed at staying afloat rather than moving to safety. You’ll typically see someone vertical in the water, head tilted back with the face at or near the surface, and arms extended out to the sides or pressing down on the water in an effort to lift themselves up. There’s little to no forward progress, and they’re relying on quick, survival-type movements rather than swimming toward safety. That description fits someone who is struggling to keep their face above water, extending the arms to the sides, pressing down for support, and not making forward progress. The other options don’t show this drowning pattern: a person who can easily swim to safety isn’t drowning; rapid blinking with panic isn’t the defining action of drowning; and calmly treading water indicates they’re not in distress.