[RACooper]

1) Yep been swimming since I was about 1 or so - my mother took me to one of those Mother & Baby swimming things... I've seen the movies of it - it's pretty freaky how little kids just automatically start to kick and such to swim.

2) Panic is the number one cause of drowning, followed by water conditions, followed by physical imparements (ie. drunk)... at least up here. When a person panics they act irrationally and expend enormous amounts of energy without accomplishing much: flailing around, getting up and down confused underwater, dragging rescuers under, hyperventalating, etc.... - further they are more likely to ingest water because of the thrashing