# The Pool - study finds most children drown while supervised



## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

For all of you with a pool, or heading towards one for these summer months I thought this was an important link

Some excerpts are:

Quote:

But recent research from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign shows that nearly 9 out of 10 children between ages 1 and 14 who drowned were under supervision when they died. The study defined supervision as being in someone's care, not necessarily in direct line of sight.
and more importantly...

Quote:

Adequate supervision means not sitting poolside reading, socializing with guests, chatting on the phone, operating the grill or listening to music with a headset. Such distractions are deadly, child trauma experts said.
and lastly this statistic is shocking!

Quote:

The SAFE KIDS study examined data from 496 child-drowning deaths from 2000 and 2001 from 17 states and found that 88 percent of the drowning victims were under supervision.
Watching means WATCHING!!!!


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## bwylde (Feb 19, 2004)

Oh, I totally belive this. DS was at my mother's house last summer (I wasn't there) and they were in the garden, or so mom thought. She looked behind and happened to glance at the pool and he'd climbed up the ladder and he was ready to hop in







: . He just turned one and it took no time for him to make his way across the yard and up to the pool. Right then and there my father dismantled the ladder and put it away and they take it out when they need it (it's a tall free standing pool and there's no way to get in unless you have the ladder). I FREAKED when I heard it. You can't take your eyes off a child of any age if there's a pool around!!!


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## mountain (Dec 12, 2001)

I was 5 feet away from my 4 yo in a pool with other kids & adult friends when I looked over & he was face down, floating. We pumped water out of his lungs. He told me later he wanted to breathe underwater, so he tried it. All within the space of 30 seconds. For real.

I don't think he would have drowned with me so close, but this is an example of what can happen. I can't imagine if I had been in the bathroom or gone to get a towel or anything. I have a huge healthy respect for any water now.


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## Dar (Apr 12, 2002)

I'm still convinced that Rain saved another child's life in the pool when she was 4. We were at a friend's house and there were 3 or 4 moms and maybe a dozen kids swimming, ranging in ag from 3 or 4 to young teens. All except Rain and another boy her age were pretty strong swimmers, and she was on the steps and he was on a raft floating in the shallow end. Two of the moms were on the steps chatting, and I was standing near the pool. All of the sudden Rain pointed over at the raft and started yelling "Danger! Danger! Help!"... no one seemed to notice her except for me - you know how you're always so tuned in to your childs voice, even with a dozen kids laughing and shouting? I looked over and the little boy had slipped off the raft and was on the bottom of the pool, just laying there. Everyone was oblivious, laughing and talking and playing, and Rain was there pointing and yelling and I looked around for a couple seconds and then just jumped in (and I wasn't wearing a swimsuit) and dove down and got him. He was okay, Rain had actually seen him slip off and started yelling right then so he'd been there maybe 10 seconds, but he wasn't splashing or moving or anything, just lying there.

No one else that day ever acted like anything major had happened, it was like he had slipped off but no big deal, he would be fine... but I think that if Rain hadn't happened to see him go over, he could easily have gone unnoticed for 5 and 10 minutes, and drowned. And her was surrounded by people...

Dar


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## Nates_mommy (May 28, 2004)

I have a pool and was a lifeguard for a few years, so I'd like to share some tips for water saftey:

1) 2 hands and 2 eyes on the baby *at all times*!
If they can't swim, hold onto them







I've seen parents holding onto their kids on a hip while talking to someone and the childs head under water...pay attention people!

2) toys in the pool - if you aren't using them, take them out!
Floating toys, balls, noodles, chairs...anything that you use in the pool..if you aren't using it, take it out of the pool. One 3 yo drowned because no one saw that he was under a floating object and therefore no one could see that he needed help until it was too late.

3) time out - let kids rest every hour, even if they are good swimmers...
15 minutes out of the pool is good...yes, they can keep their feet in...

4) watch for blue lips...and make them get out!
again, 15 minutes out of the pool, wrapped up, in the sun, something to eat.

5) NO DIVING in less than 6 feet
if you need explaining for this one, you shouldn't be supervising kids in the pool

6) NO RUNNING!!!
if I had a dollar for everytime I said this one! kids can slip and fall into the water, hitting the ground and side of the pool on the way in. Not good

7) Don't trust floaties to do the trick
or inner-tubes or even those bathing suits that have the built in floats...if your children can't swim, refer to safety tip #1

you'll have more fun if you stay safe...enjoy!!!


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## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

bumping this up to keep mamas informed.

thanks nates mommy for the great info!!


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## lizziejean (Feb 8, 2003)

Natesmommy, what about tips for wading pools? Our town pool has a huge area which shelves from nothing to about 4 feet, joined to a regular deep olympic pool... if I'm supervising the little ones in the shallow part, I usually just let them frolic where I can see them - but I do let them get further away than arms length... what would you recommend based on your experience? anyone?


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## Lucky Charm (Nov 8, 2002)

All it takes is a mouthful to drown a child. I lived in south florida for 23 years, and children drowned all to often.

I live in colorado now, and join a local pool every year. and every day that we go (and i take the kids almost every day), i see toddlers, small kids, apre-schoolers in the "baby pool"....the pool is shaped like a capital Z, with the bottom part of the Z the baby-non swimmer part. the water maybe comes up to the middle of my shin (i am 5'10), and closer to the steps, its a bit shallower. All the moms get the choice chairs right in front, which of course i want as well. however, they sunbathe, read and coffee clatch while their kids are unsupervised. the pool has life guards, but the baby pool is the responsibility of the kids parents....so i sit on the edge of that pool, feet in the water, for hours while my child plays. i cant tell you how many times i have had to pull a child up and out that has taken in too much water. i swear, i should be on the payroll.

So sorry for going on a tangent, and its most likely because of the dead kids i have seen working in an ER, but i agree. you could be right there, reading your magazine and your child could drown, or choke.


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## punkprincessmama (Jan 2, 2004)

Goodcents, I wanted to thank you for having the link to this thread in your siggy line.

Thanks everyone for sharing your knowledge about water safety. This was a nice refresher / reminder.


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## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

thanks punk princess - i hope it helps someone out there!


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## thyme (Jul 17, 2003)

Quote:

The study defined supervision as being in someone's care, not necessarily in direct line of sight.
I don't get this part -- are there really that many kids that are not "in someone's care" at all times???


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## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

Yes Rosemary I think there are many children who are not in someone's care at all times.

OT but remind me of a conversation I heard about a mom whom I met this weekend. Goes like.....

Person "Why is your newborn baby crying"

New mom "Because she has got to learn when we eat dinner she is not going to get what she wants."







:

Is the child being supervised? According to this study, yes the child is.

_Is the child being cared for? H**L no - not in my opinion._


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## frand (May 8, 2004)

I have had friends and neighbors offer to take my daughter to the pool along with their children and I always say no. Sometimes I've wondered if I'm being overprotective. But I saw a horrid tape on 20/20 or some similar show that showed a pool where a boy drowned, and you can see clearly on the security tape how his body is just immobile under the water for five minutes and no one is noticing! I wish information such as what's in this thread could be broadcast on local TV news channels at the beginning of every summer. Every drowning is a preventable death!


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## Bippity (Sep 12, 2003)

I took my DD to the pool for the first time ever 2 weeks ago. I stood right beside her while she waded and explored in the baby pool - the maximum depth in that pool is 1 FOOT - it came up just past her waist. Well, I saw somebody I knew & just waved hi & watched for maybe 10 seconds to see if this woman was coming over, and in this time DD saw a pool toy floating by and was reaching far into the water to grab it up and she lost her balance. I don't think she'd be able to right herself if I hadn't noticed her & grabbed her - she was literally 6 inches away from me, and I looked away for just the tiniest bit. I was really trying to be consciously cautious and aware of where she was all the time.

I learned my lesson right there - it can happen soooo quickly!


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## Fleurette (Feb 28, 2003)

I believe this too. My dd almost drown yesterday and I was RIGHT THERE! I was feeding my one twin and was watching her in the wading pool. Looked down at him for a second and looked back at her and BOOM! She was floating face first in the water. Scared the crapola outta me! Thankfully I had neighbors around and I yelled for them to grab her because I still had the one baby in my arms, my stroller blocking my way (so totally my fault and I wasn't even thinking! I feel horrible!) and they got her out and she was fine. I actually think she was trying to swim on her own because she pretends to swim at home on the floor all the time and she was in the same position. I need to get that little girl some lessons!


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## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

This momma experienced something scary.

Someone on that thread mentioned parents on "Pool Duty" so two parents are always "specifically" watching the pool. Consider volunteering when you do to your pool parties this summer. You could save a child's life.


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## kama'aina mama (Nov 19, 2001)

My sister has a pool and has a big annual pool party. Any time there is more than a couple people in the pool she designates a lifeguard. They have a sun hat and a whistle. They may not eat while on duty and you aren't supposed to distract them. Everyone takes about a half hour shift, round robin, throughout the day. You don't have to have any special skills to do this, you just have to be watching the pool and paying attention to the kids.


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## Mrs Jones (May 1, 2004)

Last summer my dad took the kids to the pool. One is a great swimmer, and the other does not swim at all. He was 2. My dear dad let go of the two year old to play with the older one. He ( the 2 yo) just slipped off him, and went face first into the water, as calm as can be. I was sitting on the other side and yelled at my dad to get him, but he didn't hear. My stepmom saw me freaking out and grabbed my ds. He was blue. All in the space of one minute or so. I was right thee, an my dad was almost touching him, he turned away when he let go, but didn't really move away.
It can happen so fast. I was so freaked out. Please watch out for your kiddos this summer!


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## Lucky Charm (Nov 8, 2002)

My 6 year old almost drowned yesterday, at the pool i mentioned in my above post. Thank G*d i was there. He was in the baby pool part of the pool, and this was during "adult swim". (the little ones can stay in the baby part of the pool, which is like a capital Z). One of the giant pool toys shaped like a dolphin floated into the baby area. it is super inflated and big enough for three elementary school age kids to sit on. well, my son somehow got his upper body over the lower part of the dolphin, where the tail fin is, he was kicking his legs, but like most kids he is top heavy...his head and trunk was in the water (he was bent like C over the tailfin)....and he couldn't get his head up. i watched for a minute to see if he could right himself, but he couldn't, and in the two second is took me to run and jump in, he was already bluish. The lifeguard was there, but they do not watch the baby pool, it is the responsibility of the parents (which is fine with me), i yanked him up and out, and i swear i almost dislocated his shoulder, and blew in his face. It scared the shit out of me. You know what my son said? "mama, i knew you'd save me, i knew you'd come". You know what the lifeguard said? "you want a job?"


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## pilesoflaundry (Dec 9, 2003)

oH GOODNESS SWEETBABY, GLAD HE IS OK! Ack sorry sleeping baby in my lap typing 1hand.

It only takes an inch of water and 1 second for a toddler to drown. My cousin who was 2 at the time drowned in the toilet while his mom changed his baby sister. He had a twin and the twins were downstairs playing his mom ran upstairs to change the youngest's diaper and he got into the half bath downstairs and was playing in the water, the toilet seat fell down on him and he couldn't lift up his head and he drowned in the bowl







. His mom felt horrible because she always had diapers downstairs and this one time she didn't.

Thanks for this thread, I think some people don't realize that even if you are in the house or right there a child can slip or anything. Dh thinks I'm neurotic because even in a 3ft pool I won't let ds in it alone because he can't swim well. He thinks being right outside the pool in a chair is ok and I don't think it is.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

Also don't leave any amount of water in buckets (turn them over so they don't get rainwater in them, too.)

And get a toilet lock to keep out curious toddlers. They are top-heavy, which means they can easily fall in but can't get back out.


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## Lucky Charm (Nov 8, 2002)

Thank you Jackie.









I lived in South Florida for 23 years, and it just amazes me still, how many kids drowned while there moms and dads were home.

It only takes a mouthful.

And i agree with you, i wouldnt let me kids in the pool alone either, even for a second.


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## julie128 (Jan 9, 2003)

Thank you all for this discussion!!!!! My mother has a pool and she will not fence it or cover it because "it looks bad." She also has a tendency to leave doors open or unlocked. I'm sorry that she bought the house. I'm always the only one watching my 3 y.o. daughter anywhere in or out of the house, and I have the baby on my hip, too. I can never enjoy my visit. If it's not the pool, it's the toilets or my mom's insulin needles or knives left at the edge of the kitchen counter or pot handles turned out on the stove. Anyway, I emailed my mother the link to this discussion. I hope that she will take it seriously.


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## OakEmber (Jul 3, 2002)

I just wanted to add what you probably all know already but it hasn't been stated...never just tell a group of adults to watch your little one for you for a sec, they will all say sure and assume that the others are watching (by that I mean say 5 people all sitting around the pool)...I have heard of many drownings happening that way. It's much better to specifically ask one person to watch your little one...and after reading this thread I don't even think I'd be comfortable doing that, unless maybe it was a family member and I physically placed DD on their hip!

We have always spent lots of time around water, my grandparents have always lived on it and we spend lots of time at beaches and pools too. One thing that I personally don't feel comfortable with is using swim devices (except of course wearing a life jacket in a boat)...I think that many people slack off thinking that the water wings or whatever it might be will protect their child. I find that putting a lifejacket on at the beach just makes my DD more likely to go out too far, makes her braver than she ought to be and gives a false sense of security, both to the kid and parent as well. JMHO.


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## mamalisa (Sep 24, 2002)

Someone that works with dh just lost their 3 year old to drowning. I'm not sure of the details, but I think the parents were both there. Scary stuff.


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## JoshuasMommy (Feb 19, 2004)

1 tablespoon of water...That's all it takes to drown. Scary HUH!


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## phoebekate (May 31, 2002)

My 2 yr old DD nearly drowned last week. We were in the deeper part of the wading pool and she was walking around up to her neck, I was hunkered down in a squat with my feet on the ground but my shoulders under the water so I was the same height as her, walking around behind her, with her body fully within the circle of my arms but I wasn't touching her because she wanted to "do it herself". As we approached the edge I looked up at some old guy's APPALLING choice in swimwear (shallow I know) and looked back at DD and the water was up over her nose. I have no idea why the pool was deeper a foot from the edge than further in, but it was - so as she approached the edge she went out of her depth. I didn't have to do anything but move my hands inches inwards to grab her and put her out of the water. I was RIGHT there, but what if I had been really distraced, maybe seen someone I knew, or talking to someone not just looking at something for a moment? Scary scary experience.


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## nikirj (Oct 1, 2002)

Two days ago I went to the pool in my apartment complex around noon. There were 3 families there (other than mine) with kids in the 6-10 age range. None of the parents were even FACING the pool - they were sunbathing, eyes closed, facing the fence (where the sun was) and not looking a their kids AT ALL. One of the kids asked his mom to pass him a beach ball that was next to her, she says "I'm not here to pass you your damn stuff, get it yourself". ARGH!!! Talk about asking for trouble!! Sure the kids could all swim - but they weren't even keeping an eye on them AT ALL.

On another vein, a much more attentive mom showed up with her little girl later, and watched my daughter like a hawk while I took DS to the restroom (you can see the pool for the walk to and from the restroom, so I could see what was going on). So I suppose some people have a little sense. But before I and this other mom showed up, nobody was watching these kids, something awful could have happened and I could easily see the parents sitting there for half an hour before noticing :-(.


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## Meiri (Aug 31, 2002)

What an odd definition of supervision.

I do not consider a child to be being supervised if the caregiver is not actually paying attention to the child. Partially supervised maybe, as mine often are when I'm in one room and their in another and my ears are telling me what's going on.

If they're outside in the backyard and I'm not right there or at least in the same room as the door (paying attention) I don't consider them to be supervised at that time.


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## Meiri (Aug 31, 2002)

Quote:

My mother has a pool and she will not fence it or cover it because "it looks bad."
That is most likely a violation of a few laws: municipal and state.


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## frand (May 8, 2004)

I am totally in agreement with Embersmom about the overuse of floating devices, which hasn't come up much in the discussions. I think those devices (which sure weren't around when I was a kid) just by their existence, encourage parents to put small children in water deeper than they should be in. When my dd started swim lessons this year the teacher commented that she had no fear of the water and that made teaching her easier. I know it was meant as a compliment but I told her I thought fear of the water is a healthy thing for a child who doesn't know how to swim! Once she told me that, and after reading this discussion, I've been watching every lesson from the balcony like a hawk!

This is such a valuable discussion.


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## Lucky Charm (Nov 8, 2002)

Farnd, you made a good point. At the pool i mentioned, where we are members, kids are not allowed to wear those inflated things on the arms....i cant remember what they are called. I agree, those things, and tubes as well, give parents a false sense of security. How many times have i been at other pools, the parents put those things on, plop the kids in too deep water, and proceed to sleep and sunbathe?

wrong, wrong wrong.


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## kama'aina mama (Nov 19, 2001)

I heard something staggering the other day.

*More children die every year because there is a pool in their home than because there is a gun in their home.*


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## Dr.Worm (Nov 20, 2001)

great thread!! bumping for the weekend.


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## LunaMom (Aug 8, 2002)

Thank you - this is such an important thread.

We don't have a pool, but we go to the town pool often and visit friends with pools. I am hyper-vigilant about pool safety. I'm amazed at how many people think they are supervising their kids adequately when they are really just somewhere near the pool but not actually watching. Drowning is fast and silent.


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## jillywilson (Nov 21, 2003)

Why is it that it is all over the media to not co-sleep with your kids, but no one says don't let your kids play in water - just safe ways to do it? Okay, maybe that is a conversation for a different thread.

Anyway, this is one of my biggest fears. We were at a community pool a few weeks ago and saw first hand how quick something terrible could happen. I was following dd#2 around the wading pool in about 18" of water. Like a pp, she didn't want me to hold her. I turned my head to talk to my sister and my sister said, "Oh no!" and pointed at Hannah. I turned and she was still standing but had bent over to stick her head in the water and couldn't seem to pull herself back up. If I hadn't been standing right next to her, who knows . . .

Another story, my BIL and SIL just bought a house with a pool and hot tub. We were there recently when it was still too cold to swim. The pool has a gate with a "childproof" latch. I was thinking how I wasn't worried about my 4yo because she would never WANT to go swimming on a cold day. A few minutes later, she and her cousin were trying to open the gate because their ball fell in the pool and they were going to try getting it out!!!


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## kimberlylibby (Dec 28, 2003)

I had a horrifying incident last summer....

This just shows you how even when you're being careful....

DD was about 7 months old, and we were in my dh's uncle's pool.

I didn't realize that the pool sloped VERY dramatically from 3 feet to 8 feet deep (it slopes over a 2 foot space, like a cliff drop off). I'd never swam in their pool and had no clue.

so I was walking with dd in the shallow end and suddenly tripped off that "cliff".

In the process of getting myself "up" I ended up totally dunking dd and holding her under. It was the scariest thing ever, because I just PANICKED... I kept dunking her and pushing for the shallow end... it was maybe a total of 15 seconds... but it FREAKED me out. What was even worse was my dh's eyes. He was outside the pool looking right at me and his look of horror was just so scary.

Needless to say, I don't leave the EDGE of that pool with dd anymore.

And I'm a good swimmer! A VERY good swimmer.... I even took lifeguarding classes!!! And yet, in a moment of panic I almost drowned my own daughter!!

My daughter, by the way, was totally calm and didn't cough or sputter or anything.... just unaffected, thank GOD. All of us adults were freaking though!

Now, Libby has an obsession with "dunking" herself in the bathtub.... so I don't let her take a bath without ME in the tub with her... she thinks it is hilarious to fall back (or forward) and stick her head underwater.

Kimberly


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## myjulybabes (Jun 24, 2003)

Just another "it happens so FAST" story.......... Dh's parents have an above ground pool, I guess it's about 4 ft deep. Aidan just has a total facination with water, so after we all got out, he was still kneeling on the edge of the deck, splashing and playing. Being the paranoid parents we are (according to MIL at least), dh was standing just inches behind him, keeping an eye on him. Sure enough, after a few minutes, he leaned too far, and splash........in he went, headfirst. Dh has really fast reflexes and caught him by the ankles, and all was fine, but it was really a lesson in how fast a toddler can get into trouble. The IL's don't say we are paranoid after that incident.......

The kids really like having those floaties, of various types (rings, arm floaties, suits with the built in flotation), but we still never let them get out of arms reach, and nearly always have 1 adult per child when it's water that is deeper than they can stand in. I consider them toys, not babysitters.


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## party_of_seven (May 10, 2004)

I have two stories to share....

The first is about my uncle and his youngest son who was about 18mo at the time. My uncle owned a house that had a hot tub just outside the back doort with a pretty garden around it....no fence. My uncle had two children who were a little older...about 8 and 6 at the time. The 8 and 6 year old ran out the door and left it open. The 18mo toddled out the door and went after a ball that was floating in the hot tub and drowned. He never forgave himself.









Please fence off your pools and hot tubs....it can happen in the blink of an eye!

The second story is about my son. We were at a hotel and all of us were swimming....myself, my dh, our 5yo, our 3yo, and the 1yo. The older two kids had floaties on, and we were in the pool with them. They had out 100% undivided attention. We decided it was time to get out and dry off. We took the floaties off of them, and not two seconds later my 3yo just jumped in.







It took a second for it to register in my brain what had happened. I yelled to dh to grab him. At about that point the 3yo comes bobbing to the surface trying to swim....he was doing a pretty good job to. Dh grabed him and pulled him out of the pool. I gave him one of these









He scared the crap out of me. It really does only take a second.

One thing I have found that helps be be better concentrated on the kids when they are swimming is to be IN the pool with them. Its a lot harder to let your mind wander or to be distracted when you are in the water with them. Besides, it a great way to play with your kids and be involved with what they are doing.


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## ohiostatefan111 (Jul 8, 2004)

I think the key is to teach your children how to swim at an eary age (I think I was 3-4) and make sure they have a life jacket on at all times around a pool if they don't know how to swim.


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## Leonor (Dec 25, 2001)

The key maybe is not to not take small children to pools? It's becoming a fashion I don't understand. It's so stupid to loose a child that way! Maybe it's the myth children have to learn everything early?


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## girlzmommy00 (May 15, 2003)

Another bad "floatie" story and why I don't use them with my kids. Kids who wear them often get used to having them on and sometimes can forget that they are not wearing them and jump in, not being able to swim on their own with out them.

This happened at a pool party I went to with my oldest dd about 6 years ago. Only myself and one other mother were actually sitting on the side of the pool watching the children (maybe 15-20+ children all around 4 yrs). One girl had been swimming with floaties or a vest (I can't remember which) and came out and took it off. She didn't realize that she wasn't wearing it (she'd gotten used to it) and jumped in the deep end. I didn't know her and didn't know if she could swim or not but guessed probably not since I knew she had something on earlier to help her in the water. When I saw her start to sink (and quickly), I jumped in and pulled her out. I was really angry with the party hosts since they weren't even watching their own children in their pool.

Since that, I hesitate to use any kind of vest or floatie since it gives them a false sense of security. I can see life preservers in a boat but other than that, I either stick to them like glue or we pass on the pool/beach. I live in NJ. very close to the beach. but we haven't been in years, since I know I can't properly supervise 3 children (10, 4 and 1) on my own.


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## anythingelse (Nov 26, 2001)

on sat my nieghbors 18mth old dd drowned in Valle Vista Ca. He mom is a firefighter here and her dad is a police officer. Her mom found her floating in the pool

you can find their story in the press enterprise newspaper today

for everyone who has a backyard pool and thinks it IS SAFE, this is the dc of a firefighter and police officer who are very careful parents

thank you for starting this thread


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## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

Hi,
I just looked up the article on press enterprise. It said she was in stable condition as of Sat July 10th. Is this still the case? I hope so. (((((hugs))))) to her and her family. How sad!!!


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## anythingelse (Nov 26, 2001)

they did not release any more info, local press is being considerate to the family, lots of people praying for this lil girl to come home in good condition


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## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

It isn't just home pools. We were at a very small local pool. We were in the deep end which was 2 ft. My dd was cold and wouldn't touch the water. So we were just milling baout while my older two swimmed. (my older one is technically too old but they let close older siblings in or kids old enough to supervise (14 and up I think) SO it was crowded but there were three life guard on duty. The two pools are devided up into two 15x15 sections. One life gaurd stands on a bridge in the middle, one at the 11" end watching the kids on the slide and one at the deep end on a chair. So my kids are swimming and my baby is milling about. My friends, whose kid was old enough to play with out direct parent involvment asked me a question and I turned around to answer (don't know what I was thinking!) 30 second i tell ya. And one says "Hey is that Ava?" So then I say "where" and she says under water. Panincing I can find her. I start screaming "where is she" but no one moves to get her. The life gaurd is just picking her nose or something (she was two whole feet from us by the way) My 7 year old spots her and she is floating face up under water. It was truely the most horrifying thing I have ever seen. We both jump in (dd and I ) and big ole me jumping into 2 ft of water of course slips and wipes out. My dd grabs her and hands her to me. She is fine. Knows to hold her breath underwater at last a little while, thank goodness. I would never count on it but it did help us this time. My friend wraps us in a towel and comforts us etc. . In the meantime the life gaurd, sitting two feet from us is none the wiser that ANYTHING unusual has happened. (we pay them why?) A little girl, 8 or 9 comes over to see if everyone was OK and if we needed anything. A 9 year old for heavens sake is more concerned than the life gaurd. granted I should have been watching my baby better. No doubt about it. But what the heck are the life guards there for if they don't jump in to save a drowning baby? These are pools with kds predominately between the ages of 6 months and 4 years. Lots of them ofthen without adequate supervision. (there is a 6 kids to 1 adult maximum ratio - lots of daycares really pushing that limit). SO even at a regular pool with plenty of life gaurds andother parents it can still happen. We no longer go to the pool with friends. too distracting.


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## lotusdebi (Aug 29, 2002)

*


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## Piglet68 (Apr 5, 2002)

Well, I'll say one thing for our local community pool. It may be in a crappy neighbourhood, but they strictly enforce a one child=one adult policy for all children under a certain age (I'm not sure exactly what that age is, but have seen them do it for kids who look about 3 or 4). I can't believe the number of groups who come in with one adult and, like, 3 young children!

As much as reading this thread makes me ill (thank god, lilyka, that ava was okay!!!) thinking about going through that, I'm so glad it is here.


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## Mommy2Brittani (Nov 7, 2003)

My dh was a lifeguard for 6 years, and at the pool he worked at, the kids weren't allowed to use those stupid water wings for 2 reasons. 1) is that they give kids a false sense of security, and 2) is that the way those wings sit on their arms interferes with their arm motions.


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## Lucky Charm (Nov 8, 2002)

Water wings arent allowed at our pool either. Thank God. As it is, many parents let their kids roam, while they lie down, snooze and tan. I saw one woman yesterday put the stupid wing things on, plop her 3 year old in 4ft water, then proceed to lie down and snooze. It didnt take long for the lifegurad to tell the woman no float devices, and she about had a fit.

I will never understand some people. Like i said earlier in this thread, Nicholas almost drowned right in front of me with that inflatable dolphin.

We had an above ground pool i florida. It was beautiful. However, my kids were 8 & 11, and excellent swimmers. My youngest was just born. But what kept me up at night was the pond in our back yard! It was 10 feet deep in the middle, with a sharp drop a few feet out from the shallow part. it was stocked with fish and had little minnows that my eight year old loved to catch in a cup and a little net. I had remote cameras out there, from the roof, that sent the signal to my TV, and i had a device that would alarm should someone fall or plop in. Finally, i had the damn thing filled, and it cost me almost $6000!

But peace of mind is priceless.


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## Juliacat (May 8, 2002)

When I was 7 yo and my cousins were 3 yo and 10 mo, my mom, aunt, and the Tupperware lady were sitting poolside, eating sandwiches and chatting. My 3 yo cousin and I were playing in the shallow end of the pool and the baby was floating around in a turtle float. Well, I saw the float turn upside down, screamed for my aunt and started swimming towards her. My scream got my aunt's attention, she jumped in the water with her clothes on and saved the baby.

Baby could have drowned if I hadn't been there--the grownups thought they were watching us but they really weren't paying attention







Fortunately she was only underwater for a few seconds so she was fine except for her ear infection getting worse.


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## MaddiesMoms (Feb 5, 2002)

Thanks for this thread. I just finished swimming lesssons with both my kids this summer and they seem so much more comfortable in the water, but I am aware that with this comes a new danger. Because they are children, they don't know their own limitations. (They are 2 and 4.) So, now my 4 year old loves to jump in the big pool all by herself and go under the water, then comes up and is fine as long as an adult is there to grab her and put her back on the wall. But what if she decides to just do it on her own? I will not let her out of my sight at the pool. What do they say? A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. I think swim lessons are VERY important, but in the meantime between now and a few years from now, when they can really swim, they have to be watched even more carefully. Edie


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## maya44 (Aug 3, 2004)

ITA with most everything here.

A couple of things I wanted to share

The best thing my kids camp does is have a day when they have to jump in the pool with all of their clothes, including shoes on! This is one on one supervised with a lifegaurd for each child (they do 3 at a time). It helps kids who fall into a pool or lake or from a boat know what to do. They teach how to kick off their shoes and get out of heavy clothing. Its a great idea and was worth the price of camp.

Me and my girlfriend watch our kids like hawks at the pool, even though they are not babies and can swim well. One day my friend says to me : "I know I won't need to watch Danielle in the pool when she's 21, but somehow I just don't believe it." LOL!!!


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## giggs (Aug 5, 2004)

I don't know if this has already been mentioned, if so I apoligize. But it's not just beaches, lakes and pool that parents and caregivers need to REALLY supervise (supervise as in being within arms reach and in sight). Bathtubs, toliets and buckets of water are also killers. I remember last summer a little boy went head first into a buck while grandma was cleaning house. It was too late for that little boy. When my second baby was only about 18 months old, I was kneeling down by the bathtub and she went under. Only under a second, if that, but had I been blow drying my hair or stepped out for a minute ... who knows. I have never been comfortable leaving them alone in the bathtub EVER. When she went under, she did so very quietly. I was very happy that *I* was within arm's reach to quickly pull her back up. It isn't always the case. There was another situation a few summers ago where the mom went DOWNSTAIRS to answer the door. I forget how old her baby was but she left him/her in the tub. The child also died. I wish more parents and caregivers would take water more seriously.


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## Breathless Wonder (Jan 25, 2004)

Bumping because this is important!


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## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

nice to see these threads bumped again. i've tried to bump or repost them every year - i am glad someone remembered!


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## Mary-Beth (Nov 20, 2001)

I understand being alert and present minded. That is important.

Let's not be blinded by fear though. I've been hearing so much fear from mothers IRL and on MDC lately I just wanted to remind us to be attentive but not so fearful. I've heard about fear of drowning in a toilet, fear of going to a pool at all with young children, fear of playing outside, fear of walking in the woods, fear of spiders and little critters, fear of dogs and wild animals, fear of the sun exposure, and on and on. Let your children explore and have fun and experience nature and of course, be mindful along the way to take care of ourselves and each other.

Have a fun and safe summer!


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## oceanbaby (Nov 19, 2001)

Glad to see this thread bumped. My older son almost drowned in a pool last year, with three completely sober and attentive adults present. It really only takes a second, and it is completely silent.


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## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

Hey I am all about not getting sucked into the fear, but I must say Marybeth I find your post to be a little off if you look at the context of this thread.

This is a *scientific* study which shows that most children drown while supervised. Its not a "don't take your kids to the pool" thread.


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## Breathless Wonder (Jan 25, 2004)

Bumping this again, because the information in the OP is important.


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