In an opinion piece, Joseph Torg, professor of orthopedic surgery at Temple's School of Medicine, explains that in order to prevent the drowning of younger children, it helps to understand that the drowning mechanism in toddlers is quite different from that of adults. "Contrary to movie depictions of a drowning person who flails about and calls for help, children just sink and drown. It happens quickly, silently and without notice. Once submerged, children become disoriented and oblivious to the change in environment from air to liquid," writes Torg.