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Italian boy survives being trapped underwater for 42 minutes

independent.co.uk

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Re: Italian boy survives being trapped underwater for 42 minutes

#61

Post by yuchi »

jnardiello wrote: post #38
pinky1417 wrote: post #31

Did anyone else catch the doctor mentioning that the boy recently asked for a mojito? It's a bit surprising that a 14 year old would ask for alcohol in a country where the drinking age is 18. But hey, it's Italy, perhaps there significantly more relaxed about kids drinking than Americans like me!

Yes, the relationship of italians with alcohol is significantly different than the one in english-speaking countries. Much more "sane" and relaxed, I'd dare to say. Alcohol isn't a social problem and it's tolerated for young people to drink (or to smoke weed) despite not being yet 18 - at least in Milan.

(Italian too here)

Actually alcohol IS a social problem, but in a way smaller size than in countries who had Prohibition. Young americans, australians and brits usually once in Italian land set their desire to drink free, causing a lot of problems (personal multiple experiences).

Re: Italian boy survives being trapped underwater for 42 minutes

#62

Post by mariuolo »

jnardiello wrote: post #38
pinky1417 wrote: post #31

Did anyone else catch the doctor mentioning that the boy recently asked for a mojito? It's a bit surprising that a 14 year old would ask for alcohol in a country where the drinking age is 18. But hey, it's Italy, perhaps there significantly more relaxed about kids drinking than Americans like me!

Yes, the relationship of italians with alcohol is significantly different than the one in english-speaking countries. Much more "sane" and relaxed, I'd dare to say. Alcohol isn't a social problem and it's tolerated for young people to drink (or to smoke weed) despite not being yet 18 - at least in Milan.

I wonder, though, if it was alcohol that prompted him to jump in the water in the first place.

He wouldn't be the first drunk who decided to do something stupid. I recall a British tourist who died in Venice after thinking it was a good idea to take a swim in the lagoon a few years back.

Re: Italian boy survives being trapped underwater for 42 minutes

#63

Post by waffl »

garblegarble wrote: post #24
zamalek wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brain death actually occurs at the time of resuscitation. As it wakes individual cells kill themselves as a result of a kind of "self check." If you cool the brain before resuscitation you can hopefully delay the self check to the point where the cells are correctly oxygenated and healthy when it happens. Dying somewhere cold cools your brain, giving you a better chance when you are resuscitated.

That's fascinating, could you point me somewhere I can read more? I'd always assumed something in the cells was decaying without oxygen preventing them from functioning again. Is it some sort of reaction byproduct that normally is part of a chain but the lack of oxygen breaks the chain and makes some other reaction occur?

This reminds me of a medical technique that was going into trials I read about on HN last year, I can't find the conversation link but this article in the nytimes is speaking to the same topic: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/10/health/a-chilling-medical-...

Re: Italian boy survives being trapped underwater for 42 minutes

#64

Post by zamalek »

waffl wrote: post #63
garblegarble wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's fascinating, could you point me somewhere I can read more? I'd always assumed something in the cells was decaying without oxygen preventing them from functioning again. Is it some sort of reaction byproduct that normally is part of a chain but the lack of oxygen breaks the chain and makes some other reaction occur?

This reminds me of a medical technique that was going into trials I read about on HN last year, I can't find the conversation link but this article in the nytimes is speaking to the same topic: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/10/health/a-chilling-medical-...

It was used quite successfully recently (which is how I learnt about it), but I can't for the life of me find the link. A technically brain dead patient was bought back to life with little brain damage.

Re: Italian boy survives being trapped underwater for 42 minutes

#65

Post by sitkack »

Shivetya wrote: post #49
unicornporn wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And for those who don't regularly swim in open water, that's f *g cold.

having been in the water below a dam its amazing just how cold it can be. The best part is, watching a friend drop an expensive knife in less than four feet of water and unable to retrieve it cause of the cold. Fortunately a few young kids came wading down the same river in this water and when they asked my friend what was wrong he pointed to the knife and the one kid simply went under and got it. and to my point, pe…

Anyone can do this, because it isn't socially acceptable to play as an adult, the only people you would encounter already in the water would be children.

Re: Italian boy survives being trapped underwater for 42 minutes

#66

Post by spiritplumber »

pinky1417 wrote: post #31

Did anyone else catch the doctor mentioning that the boy recently asked for a mojito? It's a bit surprising that a 14 year old would ask for alcohol in a country where the drinking age is 18. But hey, it's Italy, perhaps there significantly more relaxed about kids drinking than Americans like me!

We don't have a drinking age in Italy. If we do, I've never seen it enforced in my life. :)

Re: Italian boy survives being trapped underwater for 42 minutes

#68

Post by octatoan »

mariuolo wrote: post #62
jnardiello wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, the relationship of italians with alcohol is significantly different than the one in english-speaking countries. Much more "sane" and relaxed, I'd dare to say. Alcohol isn't a social problem and it's tolerated for young people to drink (or to smoke weed) despite not being yet 18 - at least in Milan.

I wonder, though, if it was alcohol that prompted him to jump in the water in the first place. He wouldn't be the first drunk who decided to do something stupid. I recall a British tourist who died in Venice after thinking it was a good idea to take a swim in the lagoon a few years back.

A few days back, a small-time sitcom actor here jumped into a pond drunk and drowned.

Re: Italian boy survives being trapped underwater for 42 minutes

#69

Post by codeulike »

unicornporn wrote: post #32
jnardiello wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

For the convenience of non-US commenters/readers: that's 13 C.

And for those who don't regularly swim in open water, that's f *g cold.

He's talking about her body temp, not the water temp. 13 c isn't _that_ cold a water temp for swimming. Plenty of people swim in 3 c water in the winter on Hampstead heath ...

13 c is however an insane body temperature.

Re: Italian boy survives being trapped underwater for 42 minutes

#70

Post by johnchristopher »

Shivetya wrote: post #49
unicornporn wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And for those who don't regularly swim in open water, that's f *g cold.

having been in the water below a dam its amazing just how cold it can be. The best part is, watching a friend drop an expensive knife in less than four feet of water and unable to retrieve it cause of the cold. Fortunately a few young kids came wading down the same river in this water and when they asked my friend what was wrong he pointed to the knife and the one kid simply went under and got it. and to my point, pe…

Single data point: I used to have very cold feet when walking in the snow and in the rain as a child enrolled in scouts (8-12 year-old) and it went away when I entered my teens (I think). Today I do not suffer from cold extremities and I am more likely to go for a walk outside when it's raining or snowing because why not.

Maybe I had bad shoes though.

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