# If someone thats drowned has been submerged for long enough, will they eventually puke up the contents of their stomach whilst still underwater? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2024, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159 "2024-01-16T09:48:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cityyewtree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cityyewtree/32/15992_2.png) [@Cityyewtree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cityyewtree)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2024, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/21 "2024-01-18T22:29:48Z")
I wonder if your ability regarding your vocal cords is a very common place one? Bet some people would pay good money to be able to have that ability . ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/22 "2024-01-19T02:30:59Z")
I thought I would type my drowning-related question here rather than start a whole new thread about it. Is it possible to drown instantly? A coworker’s neighbor recently passed, a 16 year old boy who was up on someone’s roof with other kids doing teenage shenanigans and the cops came and all the boys scattered. This kid ran off into the woods, which is apparently swamp land, tripped, fell face first in the swamp and “drowned instantly” according to what I was told. It’s not clear if he lost consciousness and just inhaled a bunch of water, or if he got stuck in the swamp mud, or what, but I’ve always envisioned drowning as a long(ish) ordeal, a matter of a couple minutes at least. But the authorities apparently said he died an instantaneous death via drowning. What say you? (And how would they know that before an autopsy?) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/23 "2024-01-19T02:57:33Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > But the authorities apparently said he died an instantaneous death via drowning. It takes 4-6 minutes of no oxygen before permanent brain damage and death, so I don’t think that makes much sense. There could have been blunt force trauma to the head but death isn’t instantaneous even if an unconscious person falls in the water. People can be revived after being under for several minutes. ---
**Author:** ![bluerust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/59ef9b/32.png) [@bluerust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluerust)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/24 "2024-01-19T08:12:58Z")
Why is that? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/25 "2024-01-19T10:57:03Z")
Because humans aren’t bottles. Water doesn’t just pour into us. ---
**Author:** ![bluerust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/59ef9b/32.png) [@bluerust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluerust)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/26 "2024-01-19T11:53:03Z")
I once read of a case where someone was found at the bottom of a frozen lake and successfully revived and made a full recovery despite being under for several hours. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/27 "2024-01-19T14:54:45Z")
Did they puke up their stomach contents after being pulled from the water? ---
**Author:** ![bluerust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/59ef9b/32.png) [@bluerust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluerust)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2024, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/28 "2024-01-19T16:23:18Z")
I don’t know, as all that was mentioned was that he made a full recovery despite the lengthy amount of time spent under the water and recovered fully, no other aspects of the ordeal were ever mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Cityyewtree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cityyewtree/32/15992_2.png) [@Cityyewtree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cityyewtree)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/29 "2024-01-24T15:36:00Z")
Perhaps the swamp had some sort of hidden depth to it that isn’t immediately obvious, but as soon as you step in the wrong part of the swamp, you encounter a sudden bit of depth not seen anywhere else in that swamp? ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/30 "2024-01-24T17:33:13Z")
I think the issue is he faceplanted somehow and got stuck in the mud and couldn’t get his head above water. I don’t think he realized he was running into a swamp. But they thought maybe he lost consciousness when he fell. I’m not sure how they could know any of that without an autopsy. Sad story. ---
**Author:** ![Cityyewtree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cityyewtree/32/15992_2.png) [@Cityyewtree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cityyewtree)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/31 "2024-01-24T22:37:53Z")
Were there any weeds he could possibly have gotten entangled in? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/32 "2024-01-25T15:01:33Z")
Puking is a forceful ejection of the stomach contents by the various muscles in the pathway from the throat to the stomach. You are suggesting that if the stomach fills with water, it will stimulate puking. If the person is dead that isn’t going to happen. ---
**Author:** ![bluerust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/59ef9b/32.png) [@bluerust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluerust)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/33 "2024-01-25T19:27:24Z")
So if a dead person’s stomach keeps on filling up with water whilst they are still submerged, if the water filling up the stomach doesn’t get regurgitated after the stomach is full, will their stomach eventually literally explode from being overwhelmed by so much water gushing in? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2024, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/34 "2024-01-25T19:45:53Z")
A dead person’s stomach is basically a bag with a tube sticking out of it. If you submerge a bag underwater, the water will displace the air, but there is nothing forcing the water to “gush” in. It’s not going to explode. Once the air is displaced, everything is at equilibrium. ---
**Author:** ![bluerust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/59ef9b/32.png) [@bluerust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluerust)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2024, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/35 "2024-01-26T08:17:52Z")
I actually tried that with a plastic bag and put a few little leftover food scraps at the bottom and when I submerged the bag, some of the scraps remained at the bottom of the bag and some of them floated upwoards towards the opening. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/36 "2024-01-31T15:09:25Z")
So I take it the bag did not literally explode. ---
**Author:** ![bluerust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/59ef9b/32.png) [@bluerust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluerust)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/37 "2024-02-01T13:45:46Z")
No it didn’t . ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2024, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/38 "2024-02-01T19:03:20Z")
> [@bluerust](#): > > I don’t know, as all that was mentioned was that he made a full recovery despite the lengthy amount of time spent under the water and recovered fully, no other aspects of the ordeal were ever mentioned. As they say, drowning victims aren’t dead until they’re _warm_ and dead. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2024, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-thats-drowned-has-been-submerged-for-long-enough-will-they-eventually-puke-up-the-contents-of-their-stomach-whilst-still-underwater/996159/39 "2024-09-04T13:48:05Z")
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