Florida Child Injury Law Blog

Posts Tagged ‘drowning’

A three year-old child died this week in a drowning accident in the apartment complex pool where the family lived. News reports say the child’s stepfather was just a matter of feet away. This tragic death has led the family to reach out to other families and warn the dangers of distraction – to prevent this tragedy from happening to other families.

An article published in U.S. News Health magazine recently, was a reminder of the dangers of a moments glance away in a fatal drowning. Just a quick distraction by adults can result in fatal consequences when supervising children around water. Whether a backyard swimming  pool, lake, pond, beach, child’s inflatable pool, bathtub, bucket of water or any body of water, a child must have a responsible adult with focused eyes on them at all times and the ability to jump in quickly.

The article on summertime safety, stated children can drown even in a swimming pool with a lifeguard on duty, and yes, even when they have had swimmming lessons – if they become fatigued. Often times, contrary to what you might expect, when a child slips beneath the surface of the water, there is no sound – no flailing or commotion.

Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1-4 in Florida. The state’s drowning death rate among this age group (1-4)  is the highest in the nation. As a grandparent to two precious little girls, I urge all parents, grandparents and caregivers of children to be hypervigilant in supervising your children around water.

 It is my sincere hope, through education and heightened awareness of this young family’s tremendously sad loss, we can prevent this tragedy from happening again.

- Florida Child Injury Lawyer Jim Dodson, working to make safety every child’s reality.

Research in the past  has shown child bathtime injuries have been related primarily to burns, scalding and even drowning. When a parent tells their child, “It’s time to take a bath,” they might expect some resistance but they don’t expect a serious accident to occur.

 But an estimated 43,600 bathtub and shower-related injuries do happen every year to children resulting in a trip to the emergency room.  According to a study conducted by Dr. Gary Smith of Ohio State University, 81% of those accidents are brought about by a child slipping, falling or tripping.   

More than half of the injuries occur in the under 5 years of age group. Child injuries usually are lacerations and soft tissue injuries.

 Dr. Smith is quick to point out the problem shouldn’t be blamed solely on lack of parental supervision.  “They happen so quickly that a parent simply can’t react quickly enough to prevent them,” he said. “Therefore, it is important to prevent them from happening by using a slip resistant mat inside and outside the bath and shower.”  

 To read more information about the results of the study, please visit medpagetoday.com.

For additional information concerning child safety and injury protection, please visit our Florida Child Injury lawyer document and resource library on our website.

A recent article in our local paper about a 9 month old baby almost drowning in a pool while being watched by grandparents is a stark reminder of our need to be vigilant when having children around swimming pools.

Even though both grandparents said they had a eye on the baby, a brief period of distraction has the potential to lead to a heartbreaking consequence .

Child and Infant Pool safety information is important for every parent. From KidsHealth.org, the Dodson Law Firm  provides a list of pool safety reminders for adults and kids.

• Always have an adult watch you when you are in the pool — even in your own backyard. Never go in the pool if an adult is not  around.
• Gates are around pools for a reason — to keep kids away from the water when there isn’t a lifeguard or adult around to watch them. Never go through any pool gates when they are closed. Stay safe and stay out!
• Always obey pool rules.
• Swim with a buddy.
• If you’re learning to swim, ask your mom or dad to make sure your flotation devices are Coast Guard approved.
• Walk slowly in the pool area. Don’t run.
• Swim at a depth that is safe for you. If you’re just learning to swim, stay in the shallow end.
• Don’t push or jump on others. You could accidentally hurt someone or yourself.
• Toys to help you float come in many shapes and sizes (an inner tube, air mattress, or beach ball, for example). Although they are fun and can help you while you learn to swim, what they can’t do is save a life. They’re toys that can lose air or float away.
• Don’t chew gum or eat while you swim — you could choke.

Be safe around pools and other swimming sources. With Spring around the corner, these rules are important to pool safety for children and infants.