It is widely believed that the child who drowns and is in cardiopulmonary arrest on arrival at the emergency room will probably suffer severe neurological sequelae despite resuscitation. In cases of cold water drowning, however, hypothermia (less than 32 °C) may confer substantial protection to the CNS if the basic hypoxic state can be readily reversed.
(JAMA 244:1233-1235, 1980)