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Underwater Breath-Holding Causes Drowning
(by permission of the Aquatic Safety Research Group)

Anyone practicing competitive or repetitive underwater breath-holding is at risk for shallow-water blackout, which can cause death. A series of recent deaths of healthy, athletic young men, all capable swimmers who died in shallow water, suggests that they were engaged in underwater breath-holding contests.

Rapid deep breathing before submersion can get rid of an excess amount of carbon dioxide. When the blood oxygen level runs low without the carbon dioxide level rising enough to trigger a breathing reflex, a swimmer may lose consciousness without ever having felt the need to breathe.

Pool staff should ban underwater breath-holding contests, just as they do diving in shallow water. Also, anyone sitting or lying on the bottom, even in shallow water, should be recovered immediately. All aquatic staff must be made to understand the inherent risk in underwater breath-holding. MORE.