Dry drowning...something new to me, and awful

Dry drowning is no longer a term that is accepted in medicine, as drowning encompasses a range of physiologic responses to the exposure of the lungs to fluid. However, in the past, dry drowning refers to laryngospasm (closing of the vocal cords) in response to exposure of the airway to water or fluid...thus effectively suffocating the victim despite not having inhaled much or any water.

That is not what happened to this boy. More likely he aspirated (inhaled) a small amount of water in teh pool which led to progressive lung injury as time went on.

Drowning includes deaths that occur within 24 hours of immersion in water or liquid...the delayed deaths usually due to reactions of the lungs to the water.