What is the fifth stage of the drowning process?

The fifth stage of the drowning process, which is cardiac arrest, occurs when a person's heart stops beating effectively due to the critical lack of oxygen in the body, following the earlier stages of drowning. During drowning, an individual experiences a series of physiological and psychological changes as they struggle for air.

Initially, they may experience respiratory distress as they begin to take in water, leading to a lack of oxygen (hypoxia) that can result in unconsciousness. If they remain submerged for an extended period, hypoxic convulsions can occur as the brain becomes increasingly deprived of oxygen. Eventually, if not rescued quickly and effectively, the ongoing lack of oxygen can lead to cardiac arrest, marking a critical medical emergency where immediate interventions such as CPR are necessary to attempt to restore circulation and breathing. This progression underscores the urgent need for swift rescue and resuscitation efforts in drowning incidents to prevent this devastating outcome.