Is dry drowning a myth? Here’s what to know

Many parents and caregivers who have heard the phrase “dry drowning” worry about their child’s risk of drowning long after they are out of the water. While the thought is terrifying, experts confirm dry drowning is a myth.

The term became widespread in 2017 after media coverage of a case where a child died one week after reportedly playing in a puddle of water. While the death was initially attributed to dry drowning, an autopsy confirmed the child died from an unrelated heart condition called myocarditis.

“Drowning is a process starting with aspiration of water with the potential to progress to hypoxia and cardiac arrest,” explains Dr. Jen McCarthy, a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Advocate Children’s Hospital. “This process can be interrupted at any time. Drowning events are therefore described as ‘fatal’ or ‘non-fatal’ based on whether or not the process is interrupted. Neither dry drowning nor secondary drowning are accepted medical terms.”

She notes the importance of monitoring children for symptoms after water aspiration, which may develop within eight hours of non-fatal drowning and necessitate medical attention.

Dry drowning symptoms include:

• Persistent cough
• Labored and/or fast breathing
• Chest pain
• Extreme fatigue and/or irritability
• Paleness or blue tint to the lips

Dr. McCarthy urges parents to monitor children around water. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more children between the ages of 1 and 4 die from drowning than any other cause of death.

“Constant supervision is fundamental,” she says. “You can’t leave a child alone for even a second because that is all it takes for drowning to occur. This includes in the bathtub.”

She shares the following water safety tips:

• If you have a pool, make sure it is surrounded by a fence that is at least 4 feet high with a self-latching gate.
• Empty inflatable pools and water toys after use.
• Never leave children unattended around water.
• Understand that floatation devices like water wings do not prevent drowning. Life jackets are a better option to help reduce drowning risk.

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