Inflatable Pools for the Littlest Kids/Grands

Each year there are hundreds of drowning deaths for children under the age of 5, and thousands of ER visits for pool submersion, many as a result of inflatable pools.  The reason: when very small children get themselves in there when you’re not looking, the inflatable sides make it impossible for them to get out.  Not a problem, you may be thinking…if they’re scared or in trouble, I’ll hear them.  Not true.

Many people think that if a child falls in the water, you will hear lots of splashing and screaming which will alert you to come to the rescue, when in fact, oftentimes children slip under the water silently. Even people near the pool report hearing nothing out of the ordinary.

Here’s some facts & tips to help you keep such a tragedy from happening at your home:

• Many drowning deaths occur when young children are initially not near the pool area. In a US Consumer Product Safety Commission study, almost 70 percent of young drowning victims were last seen in the house or nearby on a porch or in the yard before the incident.  And drowning can occur in the few minutes it takes to answer the phone. So when you know you’ll be distracted, take the extra precaution of bringing the tots inside & securing exits from the house to the pool area.
• Data from the same study shows that about 77 percent of the victims had been missing for 5 minutes. Precious time is often wasted looking for missing children anywhere but in the pool. Always look for a missing child in the pool first. 
• Put even a small inflatable pool in an area where small children can’t get to it without you present, or put some sort of barrier around it that small children can’t get through.
  

You have been officially alerted….