# About Drowning (goin down 3 times)

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-drowning-goin-down-3-times/517855>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [November 17, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-drowning-goin-down-3-times/517855 "2009-11-17T01:34:52Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Randori](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@Randori](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Randori)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-drowning-goin-down-3-times/517855/1 "2009-11-17T01:34:52Z")

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You explained what happens when you drown in freshwater and you explained what happens when you drown in saltwater, but what happens when you drown in an estuary?😕

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**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2009, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-drowning-goin-down-3-times/517855/2 "2009-11-17T01:38:53Z")

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Welcome to the boards.

It helps if you add a link to the column, so that others can follow along.

[Do you “go down three times” before drowning?](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/192/do-you-go-down-three-times-before-drowning)

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**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-drowning-goin-down-3-times/517855/3 "2009-11-18T16:49:13Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> There’s also a big difference between drowning in fresh water and drowning in salt water.

I assume **Cecil** is actually talking about drownings where a rescue is attempted and the victim removed from the water, as opposed to those who, you know, go under water and stay there until they bloat/wash up on shore. 'Cause I’m fairly sure filling the lungs with water like a water balloon, then leaving the water there for about 30 minutes will have the same effect whether the water is fresh or salty. YMMV.

> [@](#):
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> In a saltwater drowning, on the other hand, the inhaled salt water draws blood plasma out of the bloodstream and into the lungs. The subsequent fluid buildup in the air sacs prevents oxygen from reaching the blood, resulting in death.

Death by osmosis - nice! So you’re saying the best treatment for a saltwater drowning is to drown them in fresh water so the salt level can be flushed? 😉