Despite numerous safety precautions taken, pools and spas claim the lives of hundreds every year.
In spite of all the precautions that so many people practice, drowning remains the leading cause of death in 18 states, and nationally, ranks second only to automobile accidents, claiming thousands of lives every year.
According to the Orange County Fire Authority, a swimming pool is 14 times more likely than an automobile to be involved in the death of a child age four and under.
On average, approximately 250 children die of drowning every year, and roughly 80 percent of those deaths are in backyard pools and spas, reports the National Safety Council.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC) reports that last year, during the summer months between Memorial Day and Labor Day, 137 children under the age of 15 drown in a pool or spa, and an additional 168 required emergency response for near fatal incidents.
These alarming statistics indicate that drowning is a serious problem. There are many preventative measures that can be taken to minimize the risk of drowning such as a
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Numerous safety features are available, and in some states, even required for both residential and public pools, that can help to protect children from the risk of drowning. These include pool enclosures or Baby Guard fences, safety pool covers (not recommended), alarms and anti-entrapment grates.
The California Swimming Pool Safety Act for example, has strict requirements in place for public pools and apartment complexes. Among their requirements are pool enclosures with outside surfaces free of any physical characteristics that can provide handholds or footholds that could enable a child under the age of five to climb over.
Even with safety precautions such as these in place, some tragedies can't be avoided. Last June, in Union, N.J., two young brothers were found dead at the bottom of a pool. At some point after their mother closed her eyes to nap, 3-year-old Kendall and his 5-year-old brother Kenley left the house. When their mother awoke at 6 p.m. to find the boys missing, she called the police.
After searching the house and surrounding property, police eventually found the boys at the bottom of their neighbor's swimming pool. Authorities say that the boys climbed a 4-foot chain link fence and drowned in the swimming pool.
Devastating incidences such as this occur each year with alarming frequency, and are not limited to unattended children. According to the CSPC, of the drowning incidents last year, 31 occurred despite the presence of others at the pool. The CSPC safety campaign reinforces three important steps: stay close to children in the water, be alert, and watch children in and around the pool at all times.
