# The pool - most children drown while supervised.



## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

Every year for the past two years I have posted this link. It is as relevant this year, as any other.

Keep kids safe - keep a "lifeguard" or designated adult near the pool at all time while children are swimming. It truly is a matter of life or death.

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.

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.

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*.


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## nextcommercial (Nov 8, 2005)

I live in Arizona. I think we have the highest drowning rate in the US. I watched a child go under. He was four years old. (my day care child) He jumped in, forgetting he was not wearing floaties.

I watched him for a few moments before going in after him. He did NOTHING! He didn't try to stand up (It was shallow water) He didn't flail, he didn't reach for the wall. NOTHING! I was shocked. And kinda mad.

Most people assume you will HEAR a child drown, but they don't make a sound. They just sit on the bottom and wait for an adult to get them.


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## sweetest (May 6, 2004)

Thanks for posting this again! I was at a pool party this weekend and mentioned this fact to everyone who would listen!







We had rotating "life guard" duty -someone who was sitting at the edge of the pool, watching with a close eye. Dd went under 3 times!!!!!!! Luckily dh was within arms reach of her and just scooped her back up.


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## BlueNote (May 19, 2006)

Thank you for this again and the reminder.


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## lilyka (Nov 20, 2001)

thanks for the reminder. two of my children have nearly drowned. both times I was standing a few feet from them. both times there was a life gaurd a few feet from them. even after I had drug them out of the water both times the life gaurd didn't notice we were having a crisis (and it took my second one a while to get breathing again. we were about to start CPR when she started sputtering.)

I never ever trust a life gaurd. and supervision means *hands on* your non swimmers and close proximity to your capable swimmers.


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## siobhang (Oct 23, 2005)

THANKS FOR THE REMINDER!

Our community pool has a rule that all non-swimming children (defined as not passing the swim test) must be within arms length of their adult supervisor. Last year, the life guards asked the pool board how well they could enforce that (i.e. were they allowed to kick a small child out because there was obviously no adult around). No good answer was given but there was hours of debate on the topic.

I had a dog drown in a river. My kids are stuck to me like glue in the pool.


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## mamaley (Mar 18, 2002)

Thanks for the reminder. I remembered your post from last year and have quoted it to so many parents, and all of them have been shocked and have taken it very seriously.


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## heidi_m (May 5, 2006)

THANK YOU for this timely reminder! DD (nearly 4 at the time) had a time of it last summer when I was holding her baby sister and turned away from her for about 10 seconds in the 3' section, I moved about two feet away to grab the floatie she and the baby sat in sometimes. She was wearing an actual life vest that is supposed to keep their heads above water, but when I turned back to her she was face down and flailing - literally right in front of the lifeguard. I was right there and she was not in any real danger right then, since as I said I was very close, within arm's reach, but it was a very big WAKEUP CALL to me as to how quickly, easily, and in the presence of life guards and other adults it can happen to any child.


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## oceanbaby (Nov 19, 2001)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nextcommercial*
I live in Arizona. I think we have the highest drowning rate in the US. I watched a child go under. He was four years old. (my day care child) He jumped in, forgetting he was not wearing floaties.

I watched him for a few moments before going in after him. He did NOTHING! He didn't try to stand up (It was shallow water) He didn't flail, he didn't reach for the wall. NOTHING! I was shocked. And kinda mad.

Most people assume you will HEAR a child drown, but they don't make a sound. They just sit on the bottom and wait for an adult to get them.

I want to reiterate this post. I had an image of a child flailing, hearing splashing water, lots of commotion. But that is not how it happens.

Last summer dh was in the pool with ds1, in the shallow end. I was sitting on a lounge chair maybe 5 feet away, and my MIL was sitting next to me. Ds1 wanted to stand on the steps of the pool, so dh set him there and was swimming around a few feet away. I glanced down to help ds2 latch on, MIL turned to me to ask a question, dh happened to duck underneath the water, and at that moment, ds1 slipped off of the bottom stair and went under the water. No one saw it happen, even though 3 adults were within 5 feet of him. He never made a sound. The first thing I heard was my MIL yelling for dh, and it took me a second to realize that ds1 was completely underwater, totally still and silent. It seemed like lightyears before dh reached him and pulled him up. You literally cannot look away when a child is in the water.


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## Nora'sMama (Apr 8, 2005)

Thank you for posting this. I nearly drowned when I was 6 and there were tons of adults nearby. We were at a pool party and someone pushed me in, not knowing that I couldn't swim. It was HORRIBLE - I still remember the fear. Finally someone dragged me out. The worst was that my parents were embarrassed that I was blubbering and crying and told me to get over it, basically.


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## maya44 (Aug 3, 2004)

When my children began to swim I watched them every minute they were in the pool.

That was "lax" compared to what I did before they could swim: I watched them every second.

Even now I watch fairly closely. One of my friends said it best "I *know* that when Molly is eighteen I won't be watching her when she is in the pool.....BUT I don't actually *believe* it."


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## OakBerry (May 24, 2005)

Thanks for the reminder!
My friend's 3 year old fell in a pool while we were all sitting around chatting, right there. He was playing quietly in the yard and around the pool area with his trucks. I voiced concern about him falling in. The mom wasn't concerned that the boy would fall in, because he "was afraid of the pool and hated the water". So much for that.
If someone hadn't been coming out of the house at that moment, and saw him fall in, it probably would have been too late by the time we discovererd him.







There were other kids in the pool that we were watching too, we were paying attention to them, and not the child outside the pool. It only takes a minute. I'll never forget that.

A local police chief said (after a child had drowned in a private swimimng pool last summer) "if everyone treated the backyard pool like a firepit or a bonfire, there wouldn't be so many drownings"


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## chfriend (Aug 29, 2002)

Thanks for the reminder.


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## Mummer (May 23, 2005)

Your reminder is timely and so true.

Along with having a lifeguard on duty at all times, I think it is the responsibility of the parents who take their kids to these water spots (pools, lakes, etc.) to be diligent as well. If you have a pool membership, or if you vacation on a lake in the summer, spend some time in the winter getting your kids swimming lessons so that they respect the dangers of water, but are comfortable in getting themselves to the surface of the water. For little children, use the swimming lessons to get them in the habit of going nowhere NEAR the water without floaties or water wings on. Please know that I am not suggesting that a child should know how to save themselves... not at all... this is the parents' resposibility. However, if you as a parent are going to bring your children to water spots, you should not wait until that first day at the beach or at the town pool to explain the importance of water wings or safety. Kids see the pool and get so excited that your words are likely lost on them.

I am an owner of a built in 8-foot swimming pool in my back yard. My kids didn't even see our pool until they had had 2 sessions of swimming lessons just for this reason. And now, while my kids do not fear the water itself, they are very cognizant of the dangers that do exist from pushing another in or rough-play in the pool or swimming when they are exhausted. They are great swimmers now, but when they were just learning, they learned to not only stay close by me, but they learned to wear their water wings at all times in side the pool gate and how to get to the surface for air if they happened to go under.

My point is that if you are going to bring kids to water spots, do not wait until that day to explain these things to them. Kids will always want to go to a friends house to swim or go to the beach for the day... you can never start too early with teaching them safety techniques and rules of the pool/beach.


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## boobear (May 18, 2002)

I'll be up at the kiddy pool a lot this summer but I always tell moms while I talk to them that it only takes 120 seconds for a child to drown. So if I seem like I'm not listening it's because I'm watching my the kids.

The majority of children who survive are discovered within two minutes following submersion. (see http://128.252.252.15/all-net/englis...tect/drown.htm)

Thank you for bringing this up. It's scarey how little time it takes to drown.


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## 2swangirls (Feb 13, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nextcommercial*
Most people assume you will HEAR a child drown, but they don't make a sound. They just sit on the bottom and wait for an adult to get them.


That's what I did! I was 4 and fell in our family pool. I sunk to the bottom like a rock and just sat there. I remember my eyes being open and My sister diving in to get me. It was all so quick that I didn't have time to panic till I was out of the pool.


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## I Fly (Jul 8, 2002)

I had to "save" one child in my 6 years of lifeguarding - and pp's are right. There was no sound! No splashing! A toddler just stepped off the deck into the pool and was suspended under water in the deep end until I dove in and got him.

There were a lot of people in the pool, and a lot of noise, and only one guard (me) on duty. I actually noticed the other lifegaurd looking around in a concerned way, and only then started to scan around to see what she might be seeing. She had noticed the toddler walking around the deck, and then realized he wasn't there any more. I finally saw a child deep in the deep end, just still. Thankfully, he was fine and didn't need CPR or anything. He had been sent to the pool with his teenage sister. Later, little neighborhood boys (pool regulars) told me that they were yelling at me that the baby had fallen in the pool. However, I was used to all the noise, especially their noise, and didn't even hear it!

After that, I took my job a lot more seriously, but was constantly frustrated by other guards who were more serious about their tan lines and sunglasses.

I don't think I'll trust my kids at the pool with anyone other than me or my dh until they are excellent swimmers. Thanks for the reminder to be extremely careful!


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## mightymoo (Dec 6, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *maya44*
One of my friends said it best "I *know* that when Molly is eighteen I won't be watching her when she is in the pool.....BUT I don't actually *believe* it."

This rings so true for me. We had a conflict between something DH and I were to do alone an a pool party a friend of my mother's was having. My mother offered to take the kids to the party and watch them. I just could not bear the thought of someone else being in charge of my child's safety around a pool, especially at a party with lots of folks/distractions around.


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## ZanZansMommy (Nov 8, 2003)

Thanks so much for this. You forget how quick this can happen.

As a kid I remember a family friend who's 12 mo old drowned in a bucket of water in the backyard. He went in head 1st & couldn't get out







. The basket barely had any water in it., but it was still enought that he drowned.


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## HappyNewMama (Jul 12, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nextcommercial*
Most people assume you will HEAR a child drown, but they don't make a sound. They just sit on the bottom and wait for an adult to get them.

I almost drowned when I was about 3.5 on Cape Cod. My mom and her friend were sitting on the dock with their legs dangling in the water. I was right in front of them in the water with one of those little kiddie inner tubes around me. I slipped right through it and down I went. I didn't panic or try to get back to the surface. In fact, I remember looking at the way the sun filtered through the water and thinking how pretty it was and that the water looked prettier from underneath than it did from the top. I was just in wonder and awe at how beautiful it all was--I didn't even realize it was unsafe. Soon I felt a hand on my head--pulling me up out of the water by my hair. I was mad because it hurt AND I wanted to stay underwater where it was prettier. It is definitely true that children DON'T understand that water is dangerous. I knew I was below the surface but I didn't see a problem with it. It is a very calm and peaceful memory that I have from that day. When I tried to breathe and water came in my nose and mouth it surprised me but didn't scare me. Scary now, knowing that it was a life threatening situation and I didn't even realize it.


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## sweetangelbrynlie (Jun 23, 2005)

thanks so much for posting this!


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## Finch (Mar 4, 2005)

It happens so quickly, so silently.







Thanks for posting this.


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## maya44 (Aug 3, 2004)

There is a newspaper editor I know who is deaf who served as a lifegaurd for years as a teen.

Although some people were concerned that he could not do the job cuz he couldn't hear, he actually was able to do the job, as or even more effectively than most because DROWNING PEOPLE often *don't make a sound*.

Since this guy was used to relying on visual cues in life he was a really good lifeguard.


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## goodcents (Dec 19, 2002)

Wow that is a cool story maya.

Now who was it who was talking about going under and how everything was pretty? That story triggered a bit of total recall for me. I was in Indiana visiting family when we went to a local pool. One of my parents was sitting on an edge with feet in the water, talking to another parent in the water. I was standing next to the parent sitting, gazing dreamliy into the pool.

It looked to cool. The shimmer, the ice blue water lapping at the sides of the pool. I could see the bottom so I thought I could stand. Without warning I jumped right in and sunk to the bottom. It was less than a second than one parent reached in and pulled me up by my hair. I was angry about it, but thinking about it now what nutty-kid-like thing to do. They must have been both mad and scared!


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## mollyeilis (Mar 6, 2004)

This is all very interesting.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *maya44*
There is a newspaper editor I know who is deaf who served as a lifegaurd for years as a teen.

Although some people were concerned that he could not do the job cuz he couldn't hear, he actually was able to do the job, as or even more effectively than most because DROWNING PEOPLE often *don't make a sound*.

Since this guy was used to relying on visual cues in life he was a really good lifeguard.

That makes SO much sense. Kids at pools make SO much noise (just as the kids in my old apartment complex, playing behind cars, giving attitude towards drivers, waiting until the last moment to break up their ball games as cars go by at 1 mph). I don't know how people can find it possible to not filter out all that noise, and I don't know how people can hear TRUE panic over all the PRETEND screams and nonsense. My mom had a simple rule. She was NOT going to allow us to randomly scream; if we did, she'd rush outside, in an absolute panic. If there was nothing obviously wrong, she'd persist in asking where the tiger was and how badly we'd been mauled. No screaming unless there was TRULY something bad happening.

Anyway, I would think a deaf person would definitely do a better job in a job like that, b/c they would never try to rely on hearing trouble start.


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## umsami (Dec 1, 2003)

I know living in Florida for most of my adult life, one hears about a child drowning pretty much every week during the summertime. Because of this, there are a lot of infant swimming programs which are designed to teach a child to roll on his back or get to the side of the pool. infantswim.com is a program that has paired with the local YMCAs.

Right now, you'll see those inflatable pools on sale at Toys-R-Us and the like... both the kiddie kind and the larger ones, that are 10' or 12'. I think some people let their guard down around them because they're not "real" pools. Well, they're real enough to drown in.


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## beansricerevolt (Jun 29, 2005)

Thanks for posting this. I have been debating about If I should let dd (8yrs) swim in a 4ft. pool with her friends at our community garden while I, and probably all the other parents too, garden.
I now will not let her swim unless I am right there watching.


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## A&A (Apr 5, 2004)

I just have to say that the grammar of this title is *DRIVING ME CRAZY.*

"Most children drown while supervised" makes it sound like a majority of children have drowned, or that a majority of supervised children have drowned. MOST children have NOT drowned. The majority of children are still with us today, thank the good lord.

Apparently you mean that, "Most children who drown do so while under supervision."

And thank you for the PSA. It really is important.


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## pilesoflaundry (Dec 9, 2003)

Thank you again for the reminder.

Everytime this thread comes around I mention these 2 stories.

My cousin drowned in the toilet when he was 2. And my own dd went into the pool and could have drowned, with dh and I standing right there. She was face down and didn't make one sound.

She was 2, I was holding her baby sister and dh and I were standing next to the pool talking for a minute before we took the kids in. 2 year old was next to me and then suddenly I realized she wasn't standing next to me anymore and I looked around and saw her floating face down in the pool. Dh jumped in with all his clothing and shoes on and grabbed her out, she was fine. I will never forget that day. She was so quiet, an extra minute or two and she would have been gone. All these adults around and it still happened.


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## seren (Jul 11, 2003)

Thanks for posting this. I'm going to have to make dh read it. He thinks i'm being dumb when I say I refuse to take the kids to his parents pool by myself. I'm 5 feet 2 inches. When I stand in the middle the water touches my chin, at it's shallowest (besides the stairs) it hits me mid-chest. I can not move fast enough to get to a child if something happens. Therefore we do not swim without other adults or teenagers around to help watch. And mil just lets the two older ones (3 and almost 5) put arm floaties on and sits in a chair by the pool. Not ok in my book!


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## lalaland42 (Mar 12, 2006)

As others have said, thanks for posting.

My little sister almost drowned at 3 in our cousin's pool. She had been wearing a lifejacket sitting on the pool steps, but in true little kid fashion, she took it off (one knot and two buckles) to see if she could swim. Of course she couldn't. As far as I know she never made a sound. I was in the deep end of the pool and the first time I realized something was wrong was when my uncle was jumping fully clothed into the pool. My mom had to perform CPR on her and she spent overnight in the hospital.

Fortunately she is an alive, if not slightly obnoxious, sister today.


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## oceanbaby (Nov 19, 2001)

Quote:

My cousin drowned in the toilet when he was 2.
For some reason this has been a huge fear of mine ever since my first child was born. I am a total freak about keeping the bathroom door closed at all times for this very reason.


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## Moochie Mamma (Jan 23, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *seren*
And mil just lets the two older ones (3 and almost 5) put arm floaties on and sits in a chair by the pool. Not ok in my book!

Those things are sooo dangerous! It is too easy for a child to raise his arms up, the floaties stay up but the child's arms slide right out and the child goes down. I'm glad to hear you're not OK with them. Maybe you could get some US Coast Guard approved life jackets for them to wear when they're with her. The ones I have have many buckles that are stiff and really difficult for my strong 5yo to remove.


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## GatorNNP (May 17, 2004)

I live in Fla and knowing how often my kids are around water I chose to be proactive about the drowning issue. My children are currently enrolled in the ISR lessons. I debated on whether to do the lessons for over a year because of the behavioral type approach to the teaching and that kids do cry at the beginning lessons quite often. I have to say that having the attachment parenting lifestyle has probably affected how my toddler is taking to the lessons. He has quickly bonded to his instructor and within a few lessons is now talking calmly during the lessons. The baby is a little less pleased about the lessons, however it is overwhelming to think that if she got into water somehow that I would find her floating and crying instead of at the bottom and silent. One of the significant things that is taught is to the parents is how to supervise children around water safely, such as no phone, no chatting at the side, etc.

My friends little brother was 2 yo and died at a picnic/party poolside where tons of people were all around. She was blamed (as a young teen) for not watching him closely enough. He rode his tricycle into the pool. It is devastating to the people involved.


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## angelpie545 (Feb 23, 2005)

Thank you so much for this thread. It really made me reflect on what happened to me today.

Today I was at the pool at our apartment complex. When we arrived there were several mother with young children and a couple of dads in the pool. I jumped, turned around, and was face to face with a child who was under the water, struggling to get to the surface. She couldn't have been more than four or five. Out of reflex I just grabbed her and pulled her to the surface. She was very startled and started to cry. I looked around and could not find her parents. I started walking around the pool with her, and poor girl, she was terrifed. I finally found her mom, and there was no thank you, nothing evevn after I told her what happened. The mom kind of gave me a dirty look and went back to her business. I was so startled at how easily that could happen, even with tons of adults around.







I was so sad for that little girl. It was really a wake-up call.


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## GotKids? (Aug 31, 2005)

What a great reminder post. I've been to the pool twice with my sister & her kids. Each time one of her kids had to be pulled out of the pool b/c they were face down. The first time her oldest was face down-- we have no idea how long he was face down. Since then I've had my son and I will NOT leave his side, even in the 1 foot deep baby pool. Sadly, my sister hasn't learned her lesson and this year her daughter ended up falling in and was face down. I had to point it out to my sister who was two feet away and didn't even notice. And this was just in the baby pool!


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## umsami (Dec 1, 2003)

http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/paren....ap/index.html


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## The Lucky One (Oct 31, 2002)

Quote:

For some reason this has been a huge fear of mine ever since my first child was born. I am a total freak about keeping the bathroom door closed at all times for
OMG, me too!!!

You can never be too careful with children around water!! Thanks for this thread!


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

Wow, i hadn't realized so many people had experiences with near drowning.
Personally, my experience was...well, i don't know if you can say "positive", but clearly, it turned out okay, since it isn't my ghost typing this!
I jumped in our pool when i was about 4. My mom was inside, the only one home. I don't really know how long it was before she came out (hysterical of course) and found me, but I did not sink to the bottom and wait there...i learned to swim!! I was happily treading water and swimming around when she came out and found me. I have been able to swim ever since, apparently. I don't really remember it, i was too young. In my mind, i have just always known how to swim..i don't ever remember not being able to swim, i don't remember learning how to swim...i just remember swimming. I love to swim, Pisces that i am.


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## ashleyhaugh (Jun 23, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *pilesoflaundry*
Thank you again for the reminder.

Everytime this thread comes around I mention these 2 stories.

My cousin drowned in the toilet when he was 2. And my own dd went into the pool and could have drowned, with dh and I standing right there. She was face down and didn't make one sound.

She was 2, I was holding her baby sister and dh and I were standing next to the pool talking for a minute before we took the kids in. 2 year old was next to me and then suddenly I realized she wasn't standing next to me anymore and I looked around and saw her floating face down in the pool. Dh jumped in with all his clothing and shoes on and grabbed her out, she was fine. I will never forget that day. She was so quiet, an extra minute or two and she would have been gone. All these adults around and it still happened.

i have a story like that from when i was about 2 also.... my mom turned around to do something with my lil sis (we're both fall babies, so i would have been around 2.5 or so and my sis 6 months), and when she turned back around, i had taken my floaties off and was on the bottom of the pool, just staring up waiting i guess......

**note- i wasnt in the pool when she turned around- i got the floaties off and into the water so quickly and quietly she didnt hear me**


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## selena_ski (Jun 16, 2006)

being a former lifeguard i can't thank the original poster enough. Swim with your kids. arm floaties and life jackets give a false sense of security, along with other issue with arm floaties. that said if you are going to use them make sure it is coast guard approved for what you are using it for.

i have to say i have had more "saves" in the baby pool, than the regular pool. if you don't want to swim, don't take your kids swimming.


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## corwinegall (Jul 7, 2004)

I know two 5 yo who were in the shallow end but wandered towards the deep end and when they hit the start of the slope they went under, no noise, no scream, no splash, they just slid and were under. Luckily in both situations they were pulled out. In one of the situations I was standing there with by back to it (watching my dd, her mom was at the side of the pool) and didn't even realize anything was going on until I turned around and saw my friend (who was there without her kids) in the pool with all of her clothes on.

And an 8yo friend of ds' was almost pulled under by a 4 yo. They both could swim, the 4 yo thought the 8 yo was having problems for some reason and started pulling on him, accidently pulling him under. Luckily an adult ran over and was able to pull them apart.


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## Mountaingirl3 (May 21, 2005)

We've never used floaties. I think they give parents and kids a false sense of security. Our kids went under on purpose even at 1--they would sit on the side and then pop off into the pool (we were always right there to guide them to the surface). They loved it. Both of our older kids could swim under water and doggy paddle 20 feet at age 4. They could tread water for 15 seconds, float etc. We still had one adult per child right there, but my point is that without floaties, they learn to swim sooner and are therefore safer.


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## traceface (Feb 17, 2003)

Thanks everyone for posting your knowledge & encounters with almost-drowning (& sadly, actual drowning in some cases). I am thinking of it every day.

I must admit, I did kind of have this preconceived notion that children drowning in pools meant the parents were off having cocktails on the other side of the yard, or something - because I had pictured that flailing and kicking & yelling would be going on.

I think now, I don't want anyone else taking my son swimming, or for him to be at a pool without me, for many years to come.

I feel like in the general public, this is not stressed well enough - you do hear the general "supervise your children", but not "don't take your eyes off of them for more than 5 seconds"


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## Hazelnut (Sep 14, 2005)

I agree. I thought I was careful before, but this really made me think. My nephew is nearly two and just gets into everything. At one recent family party, the mom had left (she usually does) and left my bil to watch all four of his kids at a busy family party. At one point he couldn't find said nephew, started to look, and found him climbing up to the above ground pool. This also reminded me to continue this kind of surveillance until well past the age two or three, when you think they're more likely to just fall in by accident.


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## Breathless Wonder (Jan 25, 2004)

Bumping because this is important!


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## mightymoo (Dec 6, 2003)

indeed


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## wahoowhippets (Dec 17, 2005)

Thank you for posting this and bumping it!


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## Nikki98 (Sep 9, 2006)

What do you all do about summer camps? My dd wants to go for summer camp (they do have swim days about 2 a week) she is 7 y/o, and not a swimmer-wwyd? Thanks.


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## nextcommercial (Nov 8, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Nikki98* 
What do you all do about summer camps? My dd wants to go for summer camp (they do have swim days about 2 a week) she is 7 y/o, and not a swimmer-wwyd? Thanks.


Can you give her some crash courses in swimming? In Phoenix, there are lots of private swimming lessons that you can do at your home or the teacher's home if you don't have a pool. I don't know if your area has those available.

I am not trying to sound judgemental or at all rude, but, may I ask why she can't swim yet? Do you live in an area where there aren't many pools?


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## Nikki98 (Sep 9, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nextcommercial* 
Can you give her some crash courses in swimming? In Phoenix, there are lots of private swimming lessons that you can do at your home or the teacher's home if you don't have a pool. I don't know if your area has those available.

I am not trying to sound judgemental or at all rude, but, may I ask why she can't swim yet? Do you live in an area where there aren't many pools?

Your question is so valid, not rude at all. The problem is with me I suppose, I can't swim so I have avoided the water myself







: . I guess I'm only perpetuating the problem with dd. It is so embrassing to be my age and not able to swim.


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## peachpie (Jan 25, 2007)

Can you take a class together? My dad could keep himself afloat but not much more and my little brother was very uncomfortable in the water. When little bro was maybe 10 my parents decided we would all take a series of private lessons. So my dad became more competent, little bro learned to keep himself afloat/dogpaddle and I got to learn advanced strokes, dives, etc. We each had an instructor-- I'm sure it was kind of $$ but it was a great family experience. We still talk about it.


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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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## bec (Dec 13, 2002)

Good to see these threads! I have had both of my older dd's in swim lessons this past school year, and will have them in lessons this summer. I'm hoping they will be swimming by the end of the summer. They all love the water, but it is so stressful for me to bring them to the pool. While I will insist on very close, personal supervision even when they start swimming, I will be feeling a little less panicked about it. As it is, They are under CONSTANT, armsreach, within sight supervision of me. I don't count on any lifeguard to keep my babies safe.


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## BelgianSheepDog (Mar 31, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *corwinegall* 
I know two 5 yo who were in the shallow end but wandered towards the deep end and when they hit the start of the slope they went under, no noise, no scream, no splash, they just slid and were under. Luckily in both situations they were pulled out. In one of the situations I was standing there with by back to it (watching my dd, her mom was at the side of the pool) and didn't even realize anything was going on until I turned around and saw my friend (who was there without her kids) in the pool with all of her clothes on.

This happened to me when I was 8. The edge was more abrupt than I expected. Fortunately my cousin was an ace swimmer and he jumped in and got me.


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## minimunklemama (Nov 24, 2004)

bumping this up,what a great post.I am going to get dh to read it,I know sometimes i come off as paranoid with all my 'worries' drowning in the loo being one of them(my kiddies,not me!)
thanks


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## Breathless Wonder (Jan 25, 2004)

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


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## Canadianmommax3 (Mar 6, 2006)

a friend of ours was at a cottage with her family, her 2 year old nephew wandered away from the cottage down to the lake, by the time they realized he was missing he was already at the bottom of the lake. He died.









It is so sad and preventable, i am so paranoid around pools. Which is why i don't want one.


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