Beware tourist drownings while snorkeling
Jul 13, 2022, 2:04 pm
#1
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Beware tourist drownings while snorkeling
As reported on sfgate:
https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/articl...i-17299438.php
The state's Department of Health data shows that between 2009 and 2018, over 45% of tourist deaths on the islands came from drowning. (The second most frequent cause of death was motor vehicle accidents, at around 10%.) The data shows that of 206 snorkeling-related deaths over that decade, 189 were non-residents.
Many of those deaths occur while snorkeling, with the number of fatalities increasing sharply over recent years. At Maui's idyllic Puu Kekaa, pressure has recently been put on authorities to increase the presence of life guards after the beach was described to SFGATE by authorities as “the No. 1 drowning capital in Hawaii.”
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But a mystery around the specific cause of death in these snorkeling fatalities — wherein the victim is often found to have not struggled or shown any distress signals before succumbing to the water — has now been revealed.
A three-year study by a subcommittee established in 2019 by the state Department of Health found that tourist snorkeling deaths are largely not due to the inhalation of water, but instead the result of low oxygen levels in body tissues prompted by excess fluid buildup in the lungs. The condition is known as hypoxia induced by rapid onset pulmonary edema, or ROPE.
The study rebutted the common thought that drownings were caused by inexperience on the part of the swimmer, who may have inhaled water. Factors that may cause a fatal case of ROPE include increased exertion, the snorkeling equipment's resistance to inhalation and pre-existing conditions, the study found. This last factor explains why many snorkeling deaths are found among middle-aged men with an increased chance of heart conditions.
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https://www.sfgate.com/hawaii/articl...i-17299438.php
The state's Department of Health data shows that between 2009 and 2018, over 45% of tourist deaths on the islands came from drowning. (The second most frequent cause of death was motor vehicle accidents, at around 10%.) The data shows that of 206 snorkeling-related deaths over that decade, 189 were non-residents.
Many of those deaths occur while snorkeling, with the number of fatalities increasing sharply over recent years. At Maui's idyllic Puu Kekaa, pressure has recently been put on authorities to increase the presence of life guards after the beach was described to SFGATE by authorities as “the No. 1 drowning capital in Hawaii.”
***
But a mystery around the specific cause of death in these snorkeling fatalities — wherein the victim is often found to have not struggled or shown any distress signals before succumbing to the water — has now been revealed.
A three-year study by a subcommittee established in 2019 by the state Department of Health found that tourist snorkeling deaths are largely not due to the inhalation of water, but instead the result of low oxygen levels in body tissues prompted by excess fluid buildup in the lungs. The condition is known as hypoxia induced by rapid onset pulmonary edema, or ROPE.
The study rebutted the common thought that drownings were caused by inexperience on the part of the swimmer, who may have inhaled water. Factors that may cause a fatal case of ROPE include increased exertion, the snorkeling equipment's resistance to inhalation and pre-existing conditions, the study found. This last factor explains why many snorkeling deaths are found among middle-aged men with an increased chance of heart conditions.
*** MORE
Jul 13, 2022, 4:29 pm
#2
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Interesting. Here's the last paragraph which has some ideas on how to proceed:
The study advised several cautionary steps that can be taken to avoid snorkeling accidents, including swimming with a buddy and staying where you can comfortably touch the bottom. It also states that "it may be prudent to wait several days after arrival in Hawai'i by air before snorkeling."
Jul 14, 2022, 10:03 am
#3
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I didn't read the article (thanks for posting the link) but if it doesn't mention it, visitors should be cautioned on using the full-face mask and snorkel sets that are popular with the rental vendors. Many cases of drownings have been attributed to people panicking when water gets into them and can't be cleared easily.
Jul 14, 2022, 2:21 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 563
You can but this is actually a real issue. Full-face masks significantly increase the risk of elevated levels of CO2 inside the mask, compared to a "regular" snorkel that can't really accumulate CO2 (although overbreathing it could lead to elevated CO2 levels in your blood). Elevated CO2 can contribute to dizziness and disorientation, among other things. Inexperienced snorkelers might gravitate to the convenience of a full-face mask but inexperienced snorkelers are the people you'd least want experiencing dizziness and disorientation in the water. And even if they're cognizant enough to pull the mask off, now you have an inexperienced, dizzy or disoriented swimmer in the water without a mask. It's interesting that this issue doesn't really get the attention it probably deserves.