Statistics attributed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claim that 10 percent to 15 percent of drowning deaths each year may be classified as dry drowning. However, CDC statistics do not distinguish between dry drowning and so-called “wet” drowning, relying on a universal definition of drowning as respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid.

Death by drowning is attributed as the second-leading cause of unintentional death by the CDC among children up to 14 years old. It is also fifth in the table for unintentional deaths among people of all ages. Most of the victims are male, and the highest risk appears to happen between 1 to 4 years old, and the majority happen in recreational settings in natural water, i.e., rivers, lakes and the ocean. Combined with drownings in boating accidents, drownings triple those that occur in swimming pools.

Older teens and adults can be affected by dry drowning as well, but it’s primarily a problem with children. In the older teens and adults, drugs and alcohol may sometimes play a role in their ingesting too much water and causing complications.

Dry drowning is sometimes confused with a medical condition known as “secondary drowning,” but they are not the same condition. Although some people use the terms interchangeably at times, secondary drowning is a different animal.

With secondary drowning, a small amount of water reaches the lungs and can cause swelling or inflammation. That makes it difficult for the lungs to achieve their normal function, which is transferring oxygen to carbon dioxide and back. Both conditions are dangerous, and many experts are now refusing to separate the two conditions, preferring to place them on a short list of related drowning conditions that can occur.