911 Dispatcher Practice Test

What could likely cause a police dispatch involving a non-responsive individual in water?

1. Suicide attempt

2. Person drowned

3. Medical emergency

4. Animal attack

The correct answer is: Person drowned

The likely cause of a police dispatch involving a non-responsive individual in water being the situation where the person drowned is grounded in the context and the typical factors associated with such incidents. When an individual is found unresponsive in water, one of the most immediate conclusions drawn by responders is that they may have suffered a drowning incident. Drowning scenarios are common in bodies of water, and the critical nature of such cases necessitates a prompt and efficient response from emergency services. Other potential causes, while they could be considered, are often less directly related to the immediate situation of someone found unresponsive in water. For instance, a suicide attempt or a medical emergency could potentially lead to a similar scenario, but they would require additional context or evidence to establish such claims definitively. An animal attack is also feasible but less common in the context of a non-responsive individual, as it typically involves visible signs of struggle or injury that would warrant a different sort of dispatch and investigation. Thus, the reason that drowning is identified as the most likely cause is due to its prevalence as a direct and immediate cause of unresponsiveness in aquatic environments, allowing dispatchers and responders to focus their efforts efficiently upon arrival.