After 5 days of drowning, a body undergoes significant decomposition: it becomes severely bloated from gases, often floats to the surface, develops a discolored, greenish-black look, experiences skin slippage (top layer peeling), and emits a strong odor, with facial features becoming unrecognizable due to bloating and decay, though the exact state depends heavily on water temperature and environment.
Even a weighted body will normally float to the surface after three or four days, exposing it to sea birds and buffeting from the waves. Putrefaction and scavenging creatures will dismember the corpse in a week or two and the bones will sink to the seabed.
Recovery time after a drowning incident varies widely. For mild cases with no lasting damage, recovery can take a few days to weeks. In more severe cases—particularly those involving cardiac arrest or brain injury—recovery may require months or years of rehabilitation and may not be complete.
What are the Stages of Drowning?
From three to five days after death, the body will begin to bloat from gasses produced from internal decomposition. The body could actually double in size and turn a greenish color. Extremely unpleasant and long-lasting odors called putrification begins. Blood and foam will begin to seep from the mouth.
3-5 days postmortem: as organs continue to decompose, bodily fluids leak from orifices; the skin turns a greenish color. 8-10 days postmortem: the body turns from green to red as blood decomposes and gases accumulate. 2+ weeks postmortem: teeth and nails fall out.
The hardest deaths to grieve often involve a child, a spouse/life partner, or a loss due to suicide or homicide, as these challenge fundamental beliefs about life's order, shatter primary support systems, or add layers of trauma, guilt, and unanswered questions, leading to potentially complicated grief. However, grief is deeply personal, and the "hardest" loss is ultimately the one that feels most significant to the individual.
Yes, drowning is considered a traumatic death, classified as a form of respiratory trauma leading to asphyxia, and it's a significant cause of unintentional injury death, especially for children, often involving severe physical and psychological impacts, including potential PTSD for survivors and witnesses. The physical damage to the lungs from water aspiration and lack of oxygen, along with the intense struggle, classifies it as traumatic.
The events that result in drowning can be divided into the following sequence: (i) struggle to keep the airway clear of the water, (ii) initial submersion and breath-holding, (iii) aspiration of water, (iv) unconsciousness, (v) cardio-respiratory arrest and (vi) death – inability to revive.
Going without oxygen has a rapid effect on the body. Within 3 minutes underwater, most people lose consciousness. Within 5 minutes underwater, the brain's oxygen supply starts to drop. A lack of oxygen can cause brain damage.
It can be hard to explain what drowning feels like. People who've survived drowning have had unique experiences. But most people who aspirated (had water enter their lungs) used words like “painful” or “burning” to describe what they felt. Most people who didn't aspirate said they didn't feel any pain.
Pulmonary oedema
In an attempt to protect the lungs, your child's body will send fluids into the lungs. This only worsens the condition and can lead to cardiac arrest or death. This condition can occur up to 3 days after the initial water incident.
Any period without oxygen can put victims at serious risk of developing permanent and potentially fatal complications. People who are deprived of oxygen lose consciousness within three minutes, and within five minutes they begin to suffer brain damage.
The brain and nerve cells require a constant supply of oxygen and will die within a few minutes, once you stop breathing. The next to go will be the heart, followed by the liver, then the kidneys and pancreas, which can last for about an hour. Skin, tendons, heart valves and corneas will still be alive after a day.
For approximately the first 3 hours after death the body will be flaccid (soft) and warm. After about 3-8 hours is starts to stiffen, and from approximately 8-36 hours it will be stiff and cold. The body becomes stiff because of a range of chemical changes in the muscle fibres after death.
Time after death: It takes 2-3 days in warm water and longer in cold water for gases to build up. Water temperature: Warm water decomposes faster, making the body float faster. Clothing and injuries: Clothing that is heavy can slow down flotation; injuries that permit gases to escape can prevent it.
If the individual has drowned, typically the body will initially submerge and assume what has been called the “drowning position.” This is where the anterior aspect of the individual faces the bottom of the body of the water and the extremities and head hang downward toward the bottom while the individual's back is ...
If the swimmer looks up, it would be like uncorking a bottle and the air would come out very quickly. This means that the drowning individual will have no air in their lungs to yell. That makes drowning a mostly silent event.
Hypoxia: With the interruption of breathing, the body experiences oxygen deprivation, leading to hypoxia, a condition where the tissues are starved of oxygen. Loss of Consciousness: Deprivation of oxygen to the brain results in a rapid loss of consciousness, often occurring within a few minutes of submersion.
While all traumas leave a profound mark on an individual's life, there's a different level of difficulty in recovering from what's called "complex trauma." Unlike single-incident traumas, complex trauma stems from repeated experiences of stressful and traumatic events, usually in environments where there's no escape.
Many people wonder if their departed loved ones visit them after death. Spiritual beliefs vary widely, but many cultures and religions hold that our connections with those who have passed continue in some form. Some believe that after death, loved ones can reach out through dreams, signs, or other subtle ways.
When grieving, don't suppress emotions, isolate yourself, rush the process, or use substances to numb pain; instead, allow yourself to feel, stay connected with supportive people, and seek professional help if needed, as grief has no timeline and everyone experiences it uniquely. Avoid platitudes like "everything happens for a reason" or "they're in a better place," and don't make major decisions too soon. Focus on self-care, even if it's basic, and accept that grief is messy, not linear.
The "3 Cs of Grief" offer a simple framework for navigating loss: Choose, Connect, and Communicate, focusing on taking small, active steps to manage emotions and find support rather than following rigid stages. This approach empowers you to Choose what helps (like activities or rest), Connect with supportive people, and Communicate your needs and feelings to trusted individuals to foster healing.