The short answer is that you basically start drowning as soon as you lose consciousness. This varies a lot, depending on circumstances (how the person ended up in the water in the first place), and water temperature. But a general figure is 2-3 minutes to lose consciousness, and a total 5-10 minutes to die (hypthermia creates the upper limit).
When water begins to enter the airways, the throat spasms (laryngospasm), shutting down the passage into the lungs. This mechanism keeping water out of the lungs continues to operate until the person loses consciousness. In the meantime, any additional water going in the mouth/nose ends up in the stomach.
In 10-15% of cases the laryngospasm does not stop until cardiac arrest. The person dies with no water in their lungs ("dry drowning"); these people are very hard to resuscitate.
Maybe as many as 20% of people in near-drowning incidents will go onto develop neurological problems as a result of the experience. Being in cold water though, is an advantage for these people; it reduces the likelihood of brain damage.
When water begins to enter the airways, the throat spasms (laryngospasm), shutting down the passage into the lungs. This mechanism keeping water out of the lungs continues to operate until the person loses consciousness. In the meantime, any additional water going in the mouth/nose ends up in the stomach.
In 10-15% of cases the laryngospasm does not stop until cardiac arrest. The person dies with no water in their lungs ("dry drowning"); these people are very hard to resuscitate.
Maybe as many as 20% of people in near-drowning incidents will go onto develop neurological problems as a result of the experience. Being in cold water though, is an advantage for these people; it reduces the likelihood of brain damage.
