Drowning is a process that results in the body's inability to oxygenate properly due to being submerged in a liquid, most commonly water. It can occur in various ways, but the two main types are "wet drowning" and "dry drowning." Wet drowning occurs when a person inhales water into their lungs after losing consciousness. This happens because the laryngospasm, which is an involuntary contraction of the larynx that prevents water from entering the lungs, eventually relaxes. Once this happens, water fills the lungs, leading to a condition known as pulmonary edema, where the lungs become waterlogged and cannot function properly to oxygenate the blood. On the other hand, dry drowning is a term that has been used to describe a situation where a person dies from drowning without water entering their lungs. This can occur when the laryngospasm does not relax, and the person dies from a lack of oxygen due to the inability to breathe. In forensic pathology, the presence of water in the lungs is considered evidence that the person was alive at the time of submersion, as the body would not be able to inhale water post-mortem. It's important to note that the term "dry drowning" is somewhat misleading and not universally accepted in the medical community. The more accurate term for this phenomenon is **laryngospasm-induced negative pressure pulmonary edema (LNPPE)**, which describes the situation where the forceful inhalation against a closed larynx creates a negative pressure in the lungs, leading to the movement of fluid from the bloodstream into the lungs. In summary, drowning is a complex process that can lead to death by hypoxia (lack of oxygen). Wet drowning involves water entering the lungs, while in dry drowning, the laryngospasm prevents water from entering, but the person still dies due to the inability to breathe. read more >>

In most persons, the laryngospasm relaxes some time after unconsciousness and water can then enter the lungs causing a "wet drowning". ... This has been called "dry drowning", as no water enters the lungs. In forensic pathology, water in the lungs indicates that the person was still alive at the point of submersion.read more >>