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Many parents have never heard of shallow water blackout (SWD). That is why I want to take a few minutes and warn parents about this problem. When it occurs, it is often fatal. Please take a few minutes, read this short article, make yourself aware of this problem that can occur while swimming, and warn your children about it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Unsuspected Fainting That Occurs Without Warning<\/h3>\n

Shallow water blackout (it is also called hypoxic blackout) is basically a faint that occurs underwater. It\u2019s caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain. Surprisingly, it often effects well trained swimmers such as spearfisherman, competitive swimmers, and even Navy Seals.<\/span><\/p>\n

SWD can occur without warning. It often occurs when the swimmer has had repetitive, prolonged, swimming laps while holding their breath. Surprisingly, what initiates the human body to take another breath is not the lack of oxygen (O2), but, actually the existence of carbon dioxide (CO2). If the swimmer has been hyperventilating, the carbon dioxide level and oxygen level go down. Suddenly, the human body faints.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sometimes, the person who has fainted will take in water into the lungs and die. Others, will just suffocate and die. Death occurs rapidly because the human body at this point has been low on oxygen for some period of time.<\/span><\/p>\n

National statistics are not kept on this phenomenon. The number of people that die from it are probably not huge, but it is a real problem. It\u2019s known that at least four highly qualified swimmers died from breath-holding incidents in New York City between 1988 and 2011.<\/span><\/p>\n

Recently, these parents lost their 21-year old son to shallow water blackout. He was a college senior and a superb swimmer. Watch this video:<\/span><\/p>\n