Pool safety

It was a close call but thankfully a 6-year-old girl has been released from hospital after almost drowning in a backyard pool in Burlington last night. Police say the little girl is now home, doing well and suffered no apparent long term health effects after being pulled, unconscious from a backyard pool Saturday night just before 5 p.m.

Police say the girl wasn’t under water for very long and adults on the scene quickly revived her, but it only takes 20 seconds for someone to drown.

“Drowning is the second leading cause of death in kids under ten and kids under five are particularly at risk,” says Barbara Byers the public education director at Lifesaving Society. “Backyard pools are the most common setting for this.”

Most people believe they will be able to recognize a drowning child because they would cry for help or splash around. In fact a child in distress will simply slip under the water without being able to alert anyone they are in trouble.  In this instance police say it was caused by a momentary lapse in supervision and according to the lifesaving society that’s not uncommon.

“Every year there are a number of drownings in backyard pools because parents and caregivers are not crystal clear about who’s minding the children,” says Byers.

So they have come up with a new tool to help clear up the confusion. It’s called the “On Guard card.” The plastic card is worn around the neck of the adult who has agreed to be responsible for watching the kids.

“The back of the on guard card explains the roles and responsibilities of the parent or caregivers when watching the children and provides safety tips,” says Byers.

It can be passed on to another parent who takes on the role.