a question about drowning victims?

The "mammalian diving reflex" response, especially in young children, is a body's reaction to the face being submerged in water, especially colder water. See this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mammalian_diving_refl...

It is the same physiological mechanism that allows seals, otters , dolphins and other mammals to be underwater for a long time without breathing.

There are lots of stories in the news about people drowning, and once in a while, there will be a story about someone, usually a child, who was underwater for a comparatively long time, who survives just fine once they are rescued. It is not uncommon for this to happen. It is less likely to happen in a swimming pool, where the water is warmer, than in a creek, lake or such, where the water is colder, and stories like that happen more often in the winter, when the water can be quite cold.

It all depends on how long you were unconscious. The brain can't sustain without oxygen for too long and as a result will start to break down. But, I find that many drowning victims if revived in enough time turn out fine. Although they hold onto bad imagery of the drowning and some even become fearful of water but, the function of the brain is normal. Now I'm not a doctor or anything I'm just interested in medicine and was raised by a family if medical professionals. I think it's pretty common for drowning victims to come back fine.

The younger you are, the better chance you have of surviving a situation such as you describe. There's some kind of automatic reflex that closes down your airway and prevents water from getting into the lungs. It tends to only happen in children and young people, and again, the younger you are, the more the brain can survive, and indeed find ways around neuronal pathways if there is any damage. It's called neuroplasticity.

What you describe is not uncommon.