Abigail Taylor was a 6-year-old girl who experienced catastrophic injury and extreme suffering because of a swimming pool accident. According to reports, she was hospitalized after a fraction of her intestinal tract was torn out by a suction pump when she sat down in an open drain. The girl’s legal representative claimed that the drain hole of the swimming pool was not properly covered.
It is unfortunate that she is just one of the many children who were involved in this kind of accident. In fact, statistics show that every year, over 300 children below 5-years-old drown in swimming pools located in residential areas, often a pool owned by the child’s family. Meanwhile, over 2,000 children within the same age group have received emergency room treatment for submersion injuries.
Here are some facts that were revealed by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in a thorough study of submersion and drowning incidents involving kids below 5-years-old in California, Arizona, and Florida:
• The child’s survival depend on the how quickly the child was rescued and the process wherein the breathing is restarted, even while the kid is still in the water. Even seconds are crucial in avoiding brain damage or death.
• Pool submersion incidents that involve children happen fast. A kid may drown in the time that is used in answering the telephone. About 75% of the victims were said to be missing from sight for just five minutes or lower.
• Submersion incidents that involve children often occur in a familiar environment. About 65% of these incidents occurred in a pool that is owned by the kid’s family. Meanwhile, about 33% of these incidents occurred in a pool that is owned by relatives or friends.
Avoiding Swimming Pool Accidents
Parents should ensure their child’s safety against accidents that may happen especially if they have a swimming pool in the house. Here are some guidelines that parents should follow to protect their children:
• Teach all your children how to swim as early as you can.
• Do not leave your child alone at the pool area without anyone supervising him or her.
• Do not remove the pool fencing from its place unless it is necessary.
• If you are going to hire a babysitter, make sure that he or she knows how to swim.
• Do not allow your child to swim when there is thunder or lightning.
• Keep all pool chemicals in a safe place.
• Do not allow your child to run along the edges of the pool.
Although these tips can help parents avoid the occurrence of swimming pool accidents, their children can still drown or suffer from injuries especially when they are using a public pool. People working in establishments that have pools may be negligent in maintaining its safeness. If an accident happens because of this, legal help from personal injury lawyers should be immediately acquired.
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