After 40 minutes of oxygen deprivation to the brain, doesn't someone become brain damaged, if not brain dead? I've never heard of this technique as an option. I can imagine that you have nothing to lose if someone has truly stopped breathing and you think their lungs are waterlogged, but I would think CPR might be more effective at getting blood flow to move to the brain, even without rescue breaths. Doing chest compressions alone would at least get whatever oxygen is still in the blood cells to the brain.

Any medical type people want to weigh in here? I am not saying this can't or doesn't work. It appears to be an older practice that is documented to work, but is it a best practice with today's knowledge and technology?