This last weekend, a Texas City family experienced the most terrible of all summer accidents. A young boy had wandered off and was found drowned in the swimming pool at his apartment complex. It took less that five minutes to find him but unfortunately five minutes was too long.
The responsibility falls to anyone with in seeing distance of a body of water to watch when there are children around to ensure that a tragedy like this does not happen. Texas, along with Florida, is at the top of the list of states with the most pool related fatalities.
The only way to correct this terrible number is for all of us – everyone – to understand and respond to the inherent danger of children an swimming pools.
When the seasons turn and the summer sun comes out, people head outside into their backyards. Hosting barbeques for friends and family is an every-weekend event. Everyone enjoys beating the heat with a dip in the backyard pool, especially kids. While seemingly harmless, residential pools present a significant risk to children, and the ultimate liability falls on the homeowner.
Dangers of drowning injuries in residential pools
Forty-two percent of non-fatal drowning injuries of children younger than 15 years old occurred at a residential pool. The backyard pools represent the majority of drowning injuries sustained by children. Depending on the severity of the drowning injuries, it’s the homeowner of the pool that can be liable for injuries. Dangers are always present when children are playing in the pool. Unlike public pools with a lifeguard on duty, residential pools often don’t have the proper levels of supervision. Without supervision of children swimmers, residential pools present an inherently higher liability risk for the homeowner.
Summer months are at the highest risk for drowning related injuries
Thirty percent of non-fatal drowning injuries of children younger than 15 years old occur in the month of July. The summer months of June, July and August account for 65% of all drowning injuries for children younger than 15. Summer backyard barbecues do lead to more kids in the pool more frequently. While adults should have the same level of awareness of children in the pool all year long, it’s the summer months that require the extra eye. More kids in the pool at any given time can present an even higher risk for drowning injuries.
States with most pool related fatalities
States with warmer climates tend to have a higher rate of residential pool ownership. It’s no surprise that drowning injuries are more prevalent in those warmer states. Forty-six percent of reported drowning fatalities of children under 15 years old occurred in a residential pool. Summer months in 2018 saw the highest number of drowning fatalities involving children younger than 15 in these states:
o Florida: 21
o Texas: 21
o California: 11
o Arizona: 7
o Tennessee: 6
o Illinois: 6
o New Jersey: 5
Pool safety tips for Homeowners
Homeowners and fellow adult guests can take an active role in preventing drowning related injuries during the summer months. Aside from always keeping an eye out, the following tips are great action items to have top-of-mind while children are playing in the pool.
- If you have concerns about guests’ behavior around the pool, don’t hesitate to curtail their activities.
- Have a list of rules and safety instructions and enforce them at all times with guests.
- Ask guests of their swimming capabilities. If guests are not strong swimmers, they need to be accompanied by a competent swimmer.
- Learn basic water rescue skills like first aid and CPR. Have each member of your family learn too.
- Keep the pool visible at all times. Remove toys from the pool when not being used.
