Drowning is most accurately defined as:

Drowning is most accurately defined as:

• A. Water in the lungs following submersion in water
• B. Death from suffocation after submersion in water
• C. Death beyond 24 hours after submersion in water
• D. Temporary survival after submersion in water

Answer: (B)

Drowning is characterized mainly by the process of suffocation that occurs due to submersion in water. The correct definition encompasses the outcome of this process, which is death resulting from the inability to breathe, after being submerged. This suffocation occurs as water enters the lungs, but the definition of drowning focuses on the fatality aspect rather than the act of submersion itself or the presence of water in the lungs. While the other options touch on different aspects of drowning, they do not provide a comprehensive or accurate definition. For instance, the presence of water in the lungs is a result of drowning but does not define the act itself. Similarly, specifying a timeframe such as "beyond 24 hours" is misleading since the definition of drowning does not rely on when a death occurs post-submersion. Moreover, the concept of "temporary survival" may relate to near-drowning incidents rather than providing a precise definition of drowning, which is fundamentally about the fatal consequences that can arise from the event.

Drowning is characterized mainly by the process of suffocation that occurs due to submersion in water. The correct definition encompasses the outcome of this process, which is death resulting from the inability to breathe, after being submerged. This suffocation occurs as water enters the lungs, but the definition of drowning focuses on the fatality aspect rather than the act of submersion itself or the presence of water in the lungs.

While the other options touch on different aspects of drowning, they do not provide a comprehensive or accurate definition. For instance, the presence of water in the lungs is a result of drowning but does not define the act itself. Similarly, specifying a timeframe such as "beyond 24 hours" is misleading since the definition of drowning does not rely on when a death occurs post-submersion. Moreover, the concept of "temporary survival" may relate to near-drowning incidents rather than providing a precise definition of drowning, which is fundamentally about the fatal consequences that can arise from the event.