Since the 27th of September, ER24 paramedics have been called to no fewer than seven incidents of children drowning in residential pools across the country. All of these seven children were tragically declared deceased at the scene, despite the tireless efforts of paramedics to revive them. They were all between the age of two and five!
It seems that even though there are numerous awareness articles that are circulated every couple of months with regards to pool safety, there are still a number of drowning incidents that frequently occur. There are actually no words to express the absolute need to further educate families with pools in their yards, and with the summer months right upon us, it is even more necessary to promote pool safety!
One of the biggest problems when it comes to pools in yards is that most of them remain uncovered. Aerial shots of major cities and towns show that there are a large number of pools that visibly have no covers. True, it is not always possible to tell whether these specific pools are accessible by children, but in general, to be on the safe side, there needs to be some form of safety aspect surrounding your pool. With ever improving technology, pool covers and other pool safety items are abundant and easy to use. All that is required is some shopping around for those that suit your home and your needs best.
Nothing compares to proper adult supervision when it comes to your children and water safety. If your child is being cared for by a minder, make sure that they know what the dangers are and what they need to do in the unfortunate event that a near drowning may occur. A simple course in CPR could save a child’s life, where immediate initiation of even basic CPR could mean the difference between life and death.
Children are physically drawn to water; they show great delight at even a sprinkler system that is switched on. If bath time is fun for them, imagine their pleasure when they see a swimming pool filled with bigger and better toys; sadly it is not yet in their nature to be able to determine the possible dangers of the water. This is where a fence and locked gate plays an important role, a child should absolutely not even be able to get to the point where they are near the water unless under direct adult supervision! Pool toys should be packed away immediately after use to prevent the temptation which a child might have to go and play in the water without supervision.
The first and most important step comes from you; take the time to ensure complete safety now, which may prevent possible tragedy from occurring at a later stage.
Vanessa Jackson
ER24