“Shallow Water Blackout” May Have Contributed to Death of Water Polo Player Nick Johnson.
A local effort is under way to raise awareness about the condition, caused by hyperventilation and holding one’s breath for a prolonged period of time.
Just how does a young, healthy, competitive water polo athlete drown in a swimming pool?
The family of 19-year-old Nick Johnson — and many in the Santa Barbara community — have been struggling to understand his tragic death, and attention is now being focused on a condition called “shallow water blackout,” which puts swimmers and divers in danger of fainting underwater…click to continue reading.