Mums and dads, if you’ve been keeping up with the news, you would not be surprised to hear about horrifying child drowning stories. Despite efforts to protect their children, mishaps happen more often than not. And they are terribly heartbreaking, especially for the parents whose child are involved.
Slipped Out Of Her Hands By Accident…
According to the Straits Times, Ms. Dazia Lee, 20, of North Carolina, USA, was charged with involuntary manslaughter by the sheriff’s office on Monday, Oct 29.
It all started in September with Hurricane Florence across the Carolinas and Virginia. Heavy rains and flood ensued, causing authorities to close certain roads.
Unfortunately, due to the overwhelming force of the floodwaters, Lee’s vehicle was shoved off the road. As a result, she drove around a barricade and onto a closed highway.
Her mum instincts kicked in and she tried to remove her son from his car seat.
Ms. Dazia Lee, 20, who drove around a barricade and onto a closed road by the authorities due to the flood. | Photo: The Washington Post
“I did everything I could as a parent to save him and protect him,” Lee told reporters at the time. Although she managed to get out of the vehicle at first, she lost her grip of her son, Kaiden Lee-Welch in the torrent, losing him forever.
The one-year-old’s body was found the next day, wedged between a car bumper and a tree. Kaiden is one of more than 40 lives that Hurricane Florence has claimed in September.
Despite the circumstances surrounding this case, coupled with the heartbreaking situation, the charges against Lee are seen as “appropriate”. This was after “a very thorough investigation and taking all facts into consideration and applying the law”, according to a statement by Sheriff Eddie Cathey.
As parents, surely we’ve thought of the ways our child’s lives could be compromised. And we never want any of that to happen to our little ones.
Child Drowning Stories: Ways To Tell Your Child Is Drowning
Mums and dads, we are often advocated to practice water safety in children. We watch them like a hawk and take on all the necessary precautions possible. But when faced with a drowning child, are we able to identify the signs?
Unlike what is depicted in movies, drowning does not involve exaggerated displays of flailing one’s arms while splashing in the water and screaming. It could be silent and over in just a moment.
No matter how well your kids can swim, they are still vulnerable in the water. Here are some ways to identify when your child is in danger of drowning:
- They appear to be climbing an invisible ladder
- Their head is low in the water and their mouth at water level
- Head tilted back with mouth open — you’d think they are attempting some tricks like floating on water but no.
- Their eyes look glossed as though they can’t focus
- Eyes closed — this should send some warning signs especially if they are just staying still in the water
- Their hair covers their forehead or eyes
- When they’re sinking vertically and not using their legs
- Hyperventilating or gasping
- When they are trying to swim in a particular direction but not making progress
- Trying to roll over on their backs
When we do realise that our child is on the brink of death, we can be rendered helpless and be scared our of our wits. We don’t want our child to end up as one of the many child drowning stories out there. But if we stay vigilant of their reactions, we can better protect our loved ones.
Source: The Straits Times
Also READ: Dry drowning: how to save your child from this silent killer