Study on Drowning Accident Risk at Irrigation Channel and Side Ditch

Due to the torrential rain, drowning accident of a small child frequently occurs in a side ditch and narrow irrigation channel. Therefore, it is very important to study the hydrodynamic force on the human body there. In this study, the flume experiment was conducted using a model of the human body (1/4 scale). The drag force exerted on the small child body was measured in a narrow channel. The experiment data showed that the drag force exerted on the body in the narrow channel is 2-3 times larger than that in the wide channel. Also, the buoyancy force acting on the body increases due to the backwater rise and the hydrostatic pressure exerted on the body increases, too. Consequently, the drowning accident risk increases even in a low velocity condition