In Session The sidebar ends. The witness says that Dr. Mitchells autopsy protocol did not contain a manner of death. He then describes what happens when someone drowns. If the patient if conscious, there will be a voluntary breath holding . . . then the body will force them to take a breath. That causes the throat to spasm up and close off, because of the water hitting the back of the throat. That spasm will close off the airway until theres not enough oxygen in the blood to maintain that reflex. The patient at this time is generally unconscious . . . and then the throat relaxes, a breath is taken, and water rushes into the lungs . . . it goes into the bloodstream, and causes problems. Unless that person has gotten out of the water within three or four minutes, the brain has been without oxygen for too long. According to Dr. Blum, very few people can survive for more than five minutes under these circumstances. In Savios case, 2000 grams of water were found in her lungs, which is a very large amount.