how long does it take for someone to drown
Best Answer: Technically, drowning begins as soon as a person loses consciousness. This, of course, varies depending on the circumstances (such as panic, exertion, temperature of water, etc.). In general, it takes about 2-3 minutes to lose consciousness. For the average person, the brain begins to die after about 3 minutes of oxygen deprivation. Death is complete after about 7 minutes.