While terrifying to hear (or read), the greatest danger to your child is in your backyard.
Drowning is the leading cause of death among children under five in California. Did you know that it is more dangerous to have a pool in your backyard than to have a loaded gun in your house? At this age, there are nearly 100 times more deaths from pools than guns. As soon as your child can crawl, preventing them from gaining access to your pool is essential.
But I always supervise my children! Nearly all the children who drowned in their home swimming pool were supposed to be under the supervision of an adult at the time of the drowning. There was usually just a brief lapse in supervision that allowed the child to slip away unnoticed. That lapse was enough for a family to lose their precious child forever.
But it was just for a minute! Studies show that most children were out of sight for less than 5 minutes. A simple distraction such as a knock at the door, a phone call, or putting in that last load of laundry is all it takes to lose your child forever.
Another very unsettling fact is that many drownings happened while BOTH parents were home supervising the child.
Nine Myths of Drowning
As reported by the Drowning Prevention Foundation of California.
1. Is drowning a problem?
A. Yes. Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death among children ages 1-4 in California. A residential pool is 14 times more likely to cause a death than an automobile.
2. Don’t more children die in open water than in pools?
A. No. 50% of deaths by drowning occur in residential pools.
3. Isn’t it more important to have a locked gate to keep neighbors out?
A. No. 65% of the children were at their own homes at the time of the incident. 46% of the children were last seen safe inside the house just before the drowning. 72% had direct access to the pool once they were outside the house.
4. Isn’t it just parental neglect that causes drowning?
A. No. According to the U.S. CPSC Drowning Study, conscientious parents who understand the need for supervision were almost always present.
5. Won’t swimming lessons protect a child from drowning?
A. No. Swimming lessons do not prepare a child for a drowning or a near-drowning situation.
6. Isn’t constant supervision enough to prevent drowning?
A. No. We recommended “layers” of protection, including a well-maintained non-climbable fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate, alarm systems, powered safety pool covers, and self-closing, self-latching doors with automatic sliding door closers.
7. Is there any proof that fences or safety barriers work? Can’t a child climb over a fence?
A. In studies conducted in Australia and New Zealand, the findings suggest that adequate, four-sided pool fencing reduced drownings by 80%. Studies in Arizona demonstrated a 50% reduction.
8. Won’t fences detract from the aesthetics of pools?
A. There are several fences to choose from that meet safety requirements and alternatives, such as an approved safety cover.
9. Do pool owners without young children need to install protective barriers?
A. 35% of residential drownings are not at the victim’s home.
Installation of an Aquaguard pool fencing system can provide dependable safety to help prevent this kind of tragedy from happening to your family!