Rescue and resuscitation or body retrieval : the dilemmas of search and rescue efforts in drowning incidents

Abstract

Drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide accounting for nearly 400,000 deaths annually. Global estimates may significantly underestimate the actual public health problem related to drowning. The care of the submersion victim is complex. It often involves a multi-agency approach with several different organisations being independently responsible for different phases of the victims care from the initial aquatic rescue, on scene resuscitation, transfer to hospital and hospital care