Pool Safety Measures Could Save Almost 400 Children Each Year

Summer is almost here and as the temperatures soar many will be seeking relief in city swimming facilities or in backyard pools throughout the Houston area. But parents, children, homeowners and city pool employees should beware, close to 400 children are fatally injured in a swimming pool accident each year. According to the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, 16 children in Texas have died already this year in swimming pool accidents.

There are more than 5,000 pool-related injuries reported each year. The most serious accidents involve death or paralysis, often the result of diving head first into water that is too shallow. Thirty-nine people were killed by dangerous drain systems that trapped a swimmer by the flow of water through the drainage system.

Parents of children in Texas should be especially cautious when their children request to spend the day at the pool. Along with Florida and California, Texas recorded the highest number of deaths of children in swimming pool accidents last year.

It is probably not surprising that the leading cause of death in swimming pools is drowning; drowning deaths disproportionately affect children under five years of age. Drowning is the leading cause of accidental deaths among children five and under.

The TX DFPS recommends that parents never leave a child unattended in or near a swimming pool. When at a home pool, whether yours or a neighbor’s, be sure to fully remove the pool cover anytime the pool is in use. Learn CPR and prepared for emergencies before they arise.

Source: ABC15, “390 kids drown in US pools each year, reports find,” May 23, 2013