Sweltering summer heat drives more and more families to swimming pools. Whether it's a personally owned, private swim club, or public community pool, safety should be the first priority. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, "In 2005, there were 3,582 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States and more than one in four fatal drowning victims are children 14 and younger. On Monday, June 2, 2008 two parents of Pasadena, MD awoke to find their 20-month old toddler had drowned in the family's swimming pool overnight. Lt. Jeffrey Silverman of the county police said, "It was just a tragic accident." (Harris, www.washingtonpost.com, 6/3/08)
In 2007, a Maryland family was awarded $4 million in damages by a jury for the drowning of their 5-year-old son at a country club pool. The jury found the pool management company was negligent for failing to staff the pool properly and for failing to adequately train lifeguards. To honor their son, the parents have set up a foundation to promote consistency in safety standards and requirements at public pools. (www.onlinelawyersource.com, 9/28/2007)
Tragic pool accidents like these can be easily prevented.
Lack of barriers and supervision is the first major risk factor to prevention of water-related injuries. Installation of pool fencing which completely separates the pool from other home areas should be at least 4 feet high. Self-latching gates that open outward with latches out of a child's reach would limit accessibility to children. It is also possible to install automatic locks and alarms so you are aware if someone enters the pool area. The CDC found that, Most young children who drowned in pools were last seen in the home, had been out of sight less than five minutes, and were in the care of one or both parents at the time. Remove floats, balls, and other toys from the pool and surrounding area immediately after use. The presence of these toys may encourage children to enter the pool area and potentially fall in. (www.cdc.gov)
No matter where you are swimming, always designate an adult to swim with the children or watch them. This adult should not be consuming alcohol or be involved in other distracting activities. Additionally, learning CPR is a valuable skill in water safety. Contact the American Red Cross in your area for available classes on CPR training.
For additional information, review our website on swimming pool accidents - http://www.foranlaw.com/swimming-pool-accidents.html or contact us today."
