When someone drowns, their airways fill with water and they can no longer breathe. But how much time elapses before this happens? It can’t be that fast, right? The human body is a miraculous thing and even in drowning situations, there has to be some give. Right?
That depends on the person. Some people may drown almost instantly while others may last upwards of 20 minutes before giving up their final breath. The amount of time it takes to drown is contingent on many factors including age, sex, physical fitness and state of mind. If you are reading this article because you or someone you know has struggled with an increased risk of drowning, rest assured; there are things you can do to increase your chances of survival.
Humans have relatively small lungs when compared to their body size, but they can still take in a lot of air when they need to. A human’s lung capacity depends on many factors.
The amount of air that a human’s lungs can hold at any given time depends on whether the human is inhaling or exhaling, as well as other factors.
However, the maximum amount of air an average adult male’s lungs can hold is about six liters.