In five minutes or less...
I feel a bit like Simon LeGree today as I punished the entire household for breaking the swimming pool rules. Swimming pools, especially residential pools, are very dangerous. Swimming pools are so dangerous in fact, that 300 children under age 5 die and 2,000 more children under age five visit hospital emergency rooms for submersion injuries every year!
Incidents involving children usually happen in familiar surroundings. Sixty-five percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by the child's family and 33 percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by friends or relatives.
Pool submersions involving children happen quickly. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a phone. Seventy-seven percent of the victims had been missing from sight for 5 minutes or less.
Survival depends on rescuing the child quickly and restarting the breathing process, even while the child is still in the water. Seconds count in preventing death or brain damage.
Child drowning is a silent death. There's no splashing to alert anyone that the child is in trouble.
At the time of the incidents, most victims were being supervised by one or both parents. Forty-six percent of the victims were last seen in the house; 23 percent were last seen in the yard or on the porch or patio; and 31 percent were in or around the pool before the accident. In all, 69 percent of the children were not expected to be at or in the pool, yet they were found in the water.
We can never let our guard down, not for a minute. A child's life is just too precious. It's summer time.. be careful, be aware.
Incidents involving children usually happen in familiar surroundings. Sixty-five percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by the child's family and 33 percent of the incidents happened in a pool owned by friends or relatives.
Pool submersions involving children happen quickly. A child can drown in the time it takes to answer a phone. Seventy-seven percent of the victims had been missing from sight for 5 minutes or less.
Survival depends on rescuing the child quickly and restarting the breathing process, even while the child is still in the water. Seconds count in preventing death or brain damage.
Child drowning is a silent death. There's no splashing to alert anyone that the child is in trouble.
At the time of the incidents, most victims were being supervised by one or both parents. Forty-six percent of the victims were last seen in the house; 23 percent were last seen in the yard or on the porch or patio; and 31 percent were in or around the pool before the accident. In all, 69 percent of the children were not expected to be at or in the pool, yet they were found in the water.
We can never let our guard down, not for a minute. A child's life is just too precious. It's summer time.. be careful, be aware.
posted by Johnny at
6:14 PM
5 Comments:
A refresher course is what it sounds like to me that you gave everyone. As human beings we are so quick to forget how quickly life can change. It's the same thing when operating a car. It has the potential to change your life in an instant. One terrifying instant. I don't think you can repeat the word Caution too many times.
By
bridgesitter, at 11:00 PM
Yes, a refresher course for me as well as everyone else.
By
Anonymous, at 9:11 AM
May I ask what happened that they deserved punishment? I won't ask what is the punishment. ;)
By
Anonymous, at 9:19 AM
Let's just say the Mama let down her guard, and the children (#1 son learned how to pop the gate) went onto the pool surface alone, an absolute no no and terrifying to think about for me.
By
Anonymous, at 8:02 PM
I agree that would be terrifying. When I was in college one of my professor's little girl wandered away from her mom while visiting a neighbor. The neighbor had a pool and when they found the little one it was too late she had drowned. A very sad funeral.
By
Anonymous, at 4:04 PM
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