Wet Drowning
Definition
Drowning in which water is aspirated into the airways and lungs during the immersion event. Produces over-distended pale lungs, frothy exudate, and pulmonary diatom deposition that enters the systemic circulation.
- Mechanism
- Water aspirated into airways and lungs
- Lung finding
- Over-distended, pale lungs
- Other finding
- Frothy exudate at airway and nostrils
- Key marker
- Pulmonary diatom deposition entering systemic circulation
Common questions
How does wet drowning differ from dry drowning at autopsy?+
Wet drowning shows aspirated water with over-distended lungs and froth, while dry drowning involves laryngospasm that prevents significant water entry, so the lungs lack the same fluid load even though death still results from asphyxia in water.
Why does diatom testing help confirm wet drowning specifically?+
Diatoms that enter the lungs during active aspiration can cross into the bloodstream and lodge in distant organs such as bone marrow, a transfer that only occurs with a beating heart and active respiration, distinguishing genuine drowning from a body dumped in water after death.
Related terms
- Diatom Test
- A laboratory test for ante-mortem submersion in which bone marrow (from sealed femur diaphysis) is acid-digested and the diatom species identified in...
- Dry Drowning
- Drowning in which laryngospasm seals the glottis, preventing water entry into the lungs. The victim asphyxiates without pulmonary aspiration. Autopsy shows non-specific...
- Frustule
- The silica cell wall of a diatom, composed of two overlapping valves (epitheca and hypotheca). Frustules are taxonomically distinctive, chemically resistant to...
- Pollard 1998 Protocol
- The standardised diatom test protocol published in Forensic Science International by A.M. Pollard (1998), specifying acid digestion conditions, wash steps, microscopy method,...
- Secondary Drowning
- Death from delayed non-cardiogenic pulmonary oedema occurring hours to days after an immersion and aspiration event, even if the victim was apparently...
- Vitreous Sodium
- The sodium concentration in the vitreous humour of the eye; reduced below normal in freshwater drowning (systemic haemodilution) and elevated in saltwater...
- Washerwoman Hands
- White, wrinkled, macerated skin on the hands and feet from prolonged water immersion. Indicates duration of immersion, not ante-mortem versus post-mortem submersion.