How long does it take before someone who falls in water drowns? I think this is a common fear. I just fear of me or a loved one drowning randomly – damn intrusive thoughts.
I want to know the time it takes before someone drowns, so I also know how much time I have to rescue someone – not drown someone, okay? haha
This article says that the amount of liquid it takes to cause a person’s lungs to shut down (aka drowning) varies according to their:
age
weight
respiratory health
After inhalation of water, a person’s airway will close to prevent more water from getting into the lungs and the person will start to hold their breath involuntarily. They may lose consciousness and their breathing and heart may stop – this will all happen in about 10 minutes or less. Up to this point, you can still save the person. If they get to the stage where they’re not breathing and are not rescued immediately, they will reach a state beyond where they can be revived.
In short, it takes only a few minutes to drown, so be careful.