WHAT: Shallow Water Blackout (Hypoxic Blackout) results from hypoxia (low oxygen) to the brain. What triggers one to breathe is elevation of carbon dioxide (CO2), not low oxygen (O2). One basically “blacks out” or faints in the water. For some, their lungs will take on water leading to drowning while others simply suffocate or die of other causes brought on by the breath-holding. **Death can be a result of the prolonged breath-holding, even if not from so called “Shallow Water Blackout” or “Hypoxic Blackout". Breath-holding may stimulate genetic triggers leading to various causes of death.

WHERE: Shallow Water Blackout (Hypoxic Blackout) can occur in any body of water (pool, lake, river, ocean or bath tub) when breath-holding underwater, regardless of water depth. Even if lifeguards are on duty, there is still a great risk because it is hard to detect from above the water.