The National Drowning Prevention Alliance debunks drowning myths in chilling campaign

From “Baywatch” to “The Sandlot,” Hollywood has often depicted a person drowning as someone frantically waving their arms and screaming to be saved. But a new campaign from the National Drowning Prevention Alliance is debunking these dangerous misconceptions. The “Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning” campaign from Doner is a national PSA to educate caregivers and parents about drowning prevention, including that it can happen silently and quickly. “There is a common saying among water safety advocates that when everyone is watching, no one is watching,” said Adam Katchmarchi, Ph.D. and executive director of the NDPA, in a statement. “Additionally, drowning does not occur the way we are used to seeing it on television or in the movies with a lot of noise and splashing. With most children unable to call out for help, the fact is, drowning is quick, quiet, and often happens when adults are present.” When someone is drowning, their energy is being spent trying to breathe and stay above water, according to the American Red Cross. Unable to draw a breath, they can’t shout. The nervous system takes over, and the person will involuntarily flap their arms downward, unable to take direction or control their body movements to wave. A set of PSAs starkly illustrates this point. In the first, a man is sitting poolside, scrolling on his phone. All is quiet except for the lap of water against the edge of the pool. But a beach ball floats past in the background, and the man finally looks up and bolts from his chair. The second PSA is from the point of view of the person drowning. They can see a woman reading in a lounger as they bob and slowly slip under the water. Both spots end with the statistic from the NDPA that 88% of child drownings occur when at least one adult is present. “No splashing. No waving. No yelling.” In addition to being featured on NDPA.org and shared on the organization’s social channels, the Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning PSA will be distributed to the organization’s partners and local drowning prevention advocates around the country to increase awareness. The campaign also features radio spots and out-of-home ads that will run nationwide through the end of the summer.

The National Drowning Prevention Alliance debunks drowning myths in chilling campaign

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