Here's how to spot drowning this Memorial Day weekend

As people flock to their pools and the Delaware beaches for summer, drowning becomes a safety concern for family members and lifeguards.  

And it can happen fast and quietly, without the dramatic shouting and splashing portrayed in movies and television shows.

"It can be very silent," said Rehoboth Beach Patrol Capt. Kent Buckson. "People are in that panic mode. They're not able to scream. And when you're panicking, you tense up and your breathing changes, which makes it worse."

Drowning, which ranks fifth for unintentional injury death in the country, doesn't typically consist of someone screaming for help while they struggle to swim. 

Experts say people are often quiet when they're drowning because they're hyperventilating and gasping for air. Other signs include people bobbing up and down in the water as well as swimmers waving their arms or floating face down. A person's head may be tilted back with their mouth open. 

Delaware State Parks Beach Patrol Capt. Kris Knutsen said those who are swimming in deep water aren't the only ones in danger of drowning. Depending on the intensity of the current, people in water as shallow as their waist or knees could be in trouble.

People should also be aware of dry and secondary drowning, particularly among children, experts say. Dry drowning typically happens moments after a water incident, in which water triggers a spasm in the airway, resulting in it narrowing and limiting breathing.

Secondary drowning can occur when a person has swallowed a lot of water after nearly drowning. The water gets trapped in their lungs, causing inflammation and a build up of fluid, Buckson said. Signs of secondary drowning include trouble breathing, coughing, chest pain and vomiting.

When people show signs of secondary drowning, Buckson said he and his lifeguards will send them to the hospital because it can be fatal. 

Knutsen said lifeguards are trained to pay attention to "high risk" people, who include children, the elderly, people who are overweight and teenage boys, he said. Boys aged 17 to 20 tend to overestimate their swimming abilities, he said. 

"We encourage people to swim near a lifeguard and obey the lifeguards," he said. "A lot of people want to go on vacation and swim by their own rules. "Try not to fight Mother Nature"

Here are other summer safety issues to think about: 

Be wary of sand 

People should be careful of how deep they dig in the sand, Knusten said. He recommended against digging a hole deeper than your waist because sand is an unstable substance. It could collapse in, trapping you and making it difficult for you to breathe and move, he said. 

If you're overheated, but not sweating, that's concerning

There are two major differences between dehydration and heat stroke, said Amy Fitzgerald, an EMS deputy chief for Aetna Hook Hose and Ladder Company: Change in mental status and lack of sweat.

If a person feels overheated, nauseous and lightheaded, they're likely dehydrated, Fitzgerald said. If a person is also feeling confused or delirious and he or she has stopped sweating or vomiting, it's likely heat stroke and people should call 911.

Don't worry too much about Zika 

Ken Alkire, owner of the mosquito and tick control company Mosquito Joe, doesn't believe Delawareans should be concerned about Zika virus here, especially if they do not plan to travel this summer.

Florida and Texas are the only states to have reported any confirmed Zika cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The kind of mosquito that carries the virus can be found in the Washington, D.C., area, but mosquitoes don't travel great distances, Alkire said. 

Get rid of any standing water 

To avoid as many mosquitoes as possible this summer, Alkire recommends people get rid of their breeding ground — standing water.

Places where water can sit for periods of time — think gutters, buckets, flower pots and pool covers — are often areas where mosquitoes reproduce and multiply, he said.

To avoid ticks, keep your lawn clean 

If people find ticks in their backyard, it's likely from an animal that brought them there, Alkire said.

He recommends people clean up all of their yard waste and piles of leaves as well as keep their grass trimmed throughout the summer. 

MEMORIAL DAY:

Memorial Day weekend at the beach: What you need to know

Free admission, classic cars, pin-ups and live music return for Wilmo a Go-Go

Five fun Memorial Day weekend events worth your time (in between backyard barbecues)

Contact Meredith Newman at (302) 324-2386 or at mnewman@delawareonline.com. Follow her on Twitter at @merenewman.