Danger - Children and Swimming Pools

[Ant1969]

Please, please, be careful out there with children in swimming pools this summer.

Keep constant supervision over your children when in and around pools.

DO NOT get complacent, just because you're on holiday!

DO have a good time, but watch out for the little'uns

If you own a villa, get it fenced in or made secure any way you can. We built a stone wall with gates with child resistant locks on i.e. you don't have to have some ugly picket fence/steel mesh.

ANY precaution is helpful if it reduces risk. It could ruin your life if a child drowns in your pool!

http://www.portugalresident.com/portuga ... p?ID=27553

83 per cent of child drownings between 2000 and 2007 occurred in swimming pools.

Of those, only one pool was fenced and 72 per cent of the victims were
children visiting, mostly from abroad.

[Gambrinus]

Sound advice.

[Rossidog]

You also have to be careful when you are using the pool with the kids. A colleague of mine in Spain nearly lost his son while he, and the entire family were playing in the pool (uncles, cousins etc. etc.). No one noticed the little boy get into difficulties (so much fun, splashing and noise) and he ended up on the bottom of the pool for several minutes. Thanks to first aid treatment when he was dragged out, and a helicopter ambulance, he survived and there was no lasting damage.

[e-richard]

What an eye opening story Rossidog.

The moral: no alarms, fences, nets or any other fancy devices would have prevented that occurring. Just plain vigilance.

[White Rabbit 2]

watching your children is the best pool safety.
No amount of pool nets , gates etc can help if you forget or can be bothered to secure them.
Instill in your children as early as possible the dangers of water , better still get them swimming as soon as possible.
Our child swam from a baby , but it didnt stop him nearly drowning in a paddling pool at a Pria da rocha hotel , we were 10 feet away.
The thing was because he was a swimmer , when he fell over in less than a foot of water we thought he would just stand up , I dont know what went through his little mind but he didnt.
In what seemed like hours but was possibly secounds , myself , husband , mother and a few other parents all when to grab him.
Luckily we were all vigilant and not only watching our own children but keeping an eye on others as well.
Unfortunately it gave him a total fear of water and I spent the next few years with him at swimming lessons just trying to get him back in the pool.
I am glad to say persaverance paid off , and when he slipped into the pool a couple of years back ( he was supposed to be playing football around the back of the house ) , and winded himself . he was able to tread water until myself and my husband pulled him out.
Teach your children to swim , watch them and god forbid you ever need it , but learn to life save , even if you only read a book !

[BobT]

Please, please, be careful out there with children in swimming pools this summer.

Keep constant supervision over your children when in and around pools.

DO NOT get complacent, just because you're on holiday!

DO have a good time, but watch out for the little'uns

If you own a villa, get it fenced in or made secure any way you can. We built a stone wall with gates with child resistant locks on i.e. you don't have to have some ugly picket fence/steel mesh.

ANY precaution is helpful if it reduces risk. It could ruin your life if a child drowns in your pool!

http://www.portugalresident.com/portuga ... p?ID=27553

83 per cent of child drownings between 2000 and 2007 occurred in swimming pools.

Of those, only one pool was fenced and 72 per cent of the victims were
children visiting, mostly from abroad.

Fences, walls and gates will not stop children drowning. Diligent parents are required for that.

[White Rabbit 2]

Too true , nothing beats watching eyes , and a pool net , gate is only as good as the person securing it !!
I have heard of alarms that children can wear that sound on contact with water , so if little one strays and land in pool you hear it. Anyone know anything about them or anyone used them ?

[Stevie-C]

Vigilance is part of mitigating risk and the most important one. However, fences, alarms, nets etc should not be dismissed.

[HampshireRich]

Let's not forget teaching your little ones to swim at an early age. My wife insisted all of our went swimming from the age of 2 upwards - even the ability to stay afloat for a few seconds and not panic can save them. Additionally, there was always one of us watching at all times, even when we had family and friends with us - our kids were our responsibility - not theirs.

It's also no good relying on schools to teach them later - not often done these days. But that's another discussion.

[SAM SPARKLE]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ire ... 525373.stm

[Helen]

I totally agree that they should be taught at an early age. My 3 year old boy started private lessons at three and a half months with a fantastic teacher in Lagos, no arm bands, nothing, and still goes every week. A couple of months ago he got his 25 metre badge for front crawl and is now learning 'butterfly'. I feel completely confident when we're around pools 'cos he knows that if he should fall in or if he's pushed in that he should just swim straight back to the side. He also knows that if he gets tired swimming that he should just flip over onto his back. I also take him to Boca do Rio swimming pool twice a week where he has a swim with me so he gets as much practice as he can. It is such an important thing to teach them and they enjoy it too. Too many children have died so far this year in water, the last one being in Silves on Thursday. Very sad.

[Ellie]

Yes,we heard about that child in Silves Helen...very tragic indeed

Hubs brother drowned when he was just 4 yearsold..he was enticed from the garden by some older boys, fell into a nearby canal and drowned. Hub's parents never really got over it. But one thing Hub made sure of was, that our 3 children learnt to swim from an early age and they are all strong swimmers.
My grandsons swim well too and little granddaughter 3 is learning now

[White Rabbit 2]

Terrible for the Silves family , if anyone knows them pass on love and thoughts.
With regards to children swimming from earlu age fantastic , but sorry to be that one again. My son is a fantastic swimmer and diver , from tiny tot , topped up by Carol over in Lagos.
But , he fell into the pool while reaching for a ball and winded himself , and couldnt get out , luckily he didnt panic and gave us the vital few secounds for myself and my ex husbands brain to connect. We were at the back of the house and didnt straight away connect splash with football !!!!
Another friend was in the sea with his two girls holding ones hands while watching the other swim , even though he was holding his daughters hand he hadnt realised that she had gone under and thought she was just floating , a matter of secounds and he still had hold of her , luckily after a lot of spluttering she was fine , but horrible experience.
I am not direct this at anyone , but still be aware even if they swim like fishes , drowning is the silent death , and too easy .
Forgive me for being so forthright.
Mandy Aka WR2

[Rossidog]

I understand from The Resident that the little boy in Silves did not drown in the pool but in a cisterna (water tank). This is something that I am particularly careful about with my work and can I please remind everyone, residents and visitors alike, that every cisterna should be fitted with a secure lock. Once an inquisitive child is in there, there is no way out, and most cisternas are several metres deep. In addition, if you are staying in the countryside, be aware that there are many open agricultural cisternas and a good number of open wells too - all very interesting to adventurous children. I dont want to sound like a spol sport, but visitors, please note that many of the villas in the Carvoeiro area will have some form of water tank on the plot (usually quite small and above ground) as there were problems with water supply and pressure at one time. These tanks were used when the pressure was poor. Most will not now be in use, but they may still contain water. When you arrive, have a look around the garden just to be sure that all is OK.

[Misty]

Also, it doesn't matter how well they can swim if they are playing and manage to trip and knock themselves unconscious. I have know this happen too.