Radio presenter lucky to be alive
We are all aware of the dangers of staying out too long in the sun, swimming out too far in the sea, stinging jellyfish and other dangers associated with the coast, but have you ever heard of 'Secondary Drowning?'
Put simply, its been described as 'delayed drowning' or 'dry drowning' because it happens up to 24 hours after an incident where a person may have gone under the waves a couple of times, swallowed some sea water, but seems fine afterwards. Burrow Beach, Dublin, Ireland. Photo: Leah Farrell/ © RollingNews.ie
Medically, its when water enters the lungs, causes inflammation and fluid build-up, which can cause severe breathing difficulties which requires medical attention.
But it can be deadly. And it can be fatal. One woman who almost died after one such incident on Burrow Beach in Sutton, in Dublin, has been telling her story and warning about the dangers of secondary drowning, even for an experienced paddle boarder as she is.
Former 98FM Presenter and producer Maria De Paor had been enjoying a day on her SUP board, (Stand up paddle board) with her friend and friends 9 year old granddaughter when the child was suddenly swept away by the current, out towards a sandbank some 500 metres off shore. Maria and Henri De Paor – Pic: Supplied
Knowing the beach very well, and being an experienced paddle boarder, Maria started to swim out towards the little girl, but quickly found herself being overpowered by the water and was in fact dragged under three times. By the time she reached the child she was exhausted but managed to get both of them on to the SUP board and paddled her way back to shore.
So, all's well that ends well? Not quite. Later that evening, the ex radio presenter started to feel nauseous and dizzy and had a cough that would not stop, but she put it down to maybe being in shock. Went to bed for a while, but couldn't sleep, was freezing cold and coughing all night and had water running out of her nose and ears. Maria and Henri De Paor – Pic: Supplied
The next day Maria decided to call a doctor for advice, and was told to get herself immediately to A&E where she was admitted with 'secondary drowning'- taken for X Rays, blood tests and A C T scan which revealed water in her lungs
Staff at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin took the issue very seriously and said they have seen a few cases of secondary drowning from seemingly simple incidents of swallowing water while swimming, luckily none of which were fatal, but that it CAN happen very easily to the unaware.
Maria was told she needed complete bed rest for a week and was prescribed antibiotics and steroids and told she was lucky to be alive.
She admits its was one of the worst experiences of her life and one she has somewhat 'blocked out' because she continues to enjoy the water, along with her 19 year old dog Henri, but she will never forget how close she came to losing her life, had she not had the presence of mind to call a doctor for advice. Maria De Paor and Henri – Pic: Supplied
With the glorious weather we are having at the moment and the amount of people thronging the nations beaches over the next few days, especially the hundreds of children who will be splashing about and enjoying the start of their summer holidays, it's worth keeping in mind how easily secondary drowning can happen.
The message is, if you swallow water while swimming in the sea, take it seriously, don't assume its nothing, and keep a close eye on the person for 24 hours and if in doubt, call for medical advice.
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