When he was 19 years old, Christopher Moore spent six weeks racing across the Pacific Ocean, from New Zealand to Japan, as a crew member on a Yamaha Cup boat team.
“Sailing is one of those things where you can learn how to do the basics quite quickly,” said Moore, professor of emergency medicine at Yale School of Medicine. “But it takes a lifetime to master them.”
Christopher Moore
Still an avid sailor, Moore these days cruises around Long Island Sound — and he’s not alone. Especially during this time of year, many people spend more time around the water, whether they’re boating on open water, kayaking down a river, or taking a dip at a beach, pond, or swimming pool.
More time on the water means an increased need for water safety to prevent injuries or drowning. Drowning remains one of the leading causes of death for children ages 1 to 4, but it can happen to anyone. And it can happen fast — even in just a few inches of water.
“I’ve never been in a situation where I felt that I was truly in danger,” said Moore. “But I’ve seen situations where that occurs, and it can happen quite quickly.”
In an interview, Moore discusses some of the more common water-related injuries, who is most at risk, and the importance of basic water safety skills.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What are the most common injuries around water?
Christopher Moore: By the numbers, drowning is the big one. There are more than 4,000 deaths annually in the U.S. due to drowning. The two extremes of the ages that really suffer from that are small children and older adults. Small children who don’t know how to swim or don’t understand the dangers of water or may not be adequately supervised is one of the biggest risk groups. Older adults who may undergo medical issues while swimming is another risk group.
As a sailor, things can also happen on any sort of boat, but when you add a motor that has a lot of power, like with motorboats and jet skis, that can get dangerous. You can certainly have drownings from the boats, but there are also mechanical injuries [bodily injuries caused by physical force, such as cuts or traumatic force].
Many of us have only seen drowning in the movies. What does it look like in a real-life scenario?
Moore: Drowning is respiratory distress from water getting into the lungs. It can be fatal or non-fatal. You can have people who show up to the emergency department who’ve aspirated some water, meaning they’ve gotten water into their lungs. Most people do fine, and some may not even need medical attention if the symptoms completely resolve quickly. However, if you have coughing or any shortness of breath, that’s an indication that you should get checked out.
There’s also something called “dry” drowning. That’s usually revealed in autopsy findings in which they don’t find a lot of water in the in the lungs. Instead, the individual experienced asphyxiation; their larynx closed off.
How can people stay safe while boating, sailing, or kayaking?
Moore: The basics include having a life preserver or personal flotation device. Having that with you and attached correctly is important. It’s also important to check for conditions. Asking questions like, “What’s the weather going to be like? Is there enough light? Is there fog? Are big winds coming?” You should also watch your speed, particularly with motorboats. The big thing is avoiding alcohol. Alcohol and boats are a bad combination. It restricts judgment. It causes your reaction time to be slower and can worsen health outcomes.
Even if someone experiences non-fatal drowning, there are often long-term health consequences. What are some of the big concerns?
Moore: There’s a whole spectrum of drowning classifications. You can have drowning events where someone is submerged or undergoes a prolonged period of not getting oxygen to the brain. That can cause long term problems, including being in a vegetative state. As long as you don’t have a prolonged period of anoxia, or a total depletion of oxygen, the lung issues will usually resolve, although that can take time.
How can we prevent injuries around water this summer?
Moore: With small children, make sure you’re watching them carefully. If you have a pool, make sure it’s secured in a way that the kids can’t get in there if they wander outside and somebody didn’t see them go out. So, supervision of children is super important.
It’s also important to know your limitations. Ideally, you learn how to swim; even adults can still get swimming lessons. If you’re going to be around water, do your best to know what you’re doing.
