In a tragic drowning incident, five-year-old girl died after she was left alone at a swimming pool. Her body was found submerged face down at the bottom of the pool.
The incident happened when the girl and her mother, Madam Lu Ying, went to the swimming pool at their condominium, The Asana.
Children Drowning Stories: 5-Year-Old Girl Drowns In Condo Swimming Pool
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According to The Straits Times, the five-year-old girl, Aurelia, was 1.06m tall at the time of the incident that took place on October 8, last year.
A case was filed and the court was informed that she had taken three swimming lessons. Although, her swimming instructor had earlier testified that the child could not swim or balance in the water.
Aurelia was splashing about in the 0.8m-deep jacuzzi as her mother watched. But she wasn’t alone in the pool. It has been reported that an adult couple was also present in the 1.2m-deep swimming pool.
Around 6.10pm, her mother felt the need to use the washroom. Madam Lu let her daughter know that she was going up to their flat. She said she felt comfortable leaving Aurelia behind in the pool since there were adults nearby. But she did not directly ask them to watch over her daughter.
It was seen on the closed-circuit television footage that the couple got out of the pool about a minute after Madam Lu left.
The footage also showed Aurelia playing with a blue swimming board in the Jacuzzi. She then started walking along the edge of the pool before sitting on the shallow edge. She is then seen laying on her stomach and trying to float.
At about 6.19pm, the footage shows Aurelia walking towards the side of the swimming pool carrying the swimming board. A minute later, small movements can be seen in the pool water at the front of the pool.
It was then that the blue swimming board is seen floating across the water and the water stands stills seconds later.
It was around 6.31pm when Madam Lu returned to the pool. When she could not find her daughter, she sought help from the security guard.
They only discovered Aurelia submerged face down in the pool at about 6.35pm.
A resident performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Aurelia. An ambulance also arrived soon after to take her to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. But the five-year-old was unconscious the whole time.
Death Of Child Ruled As “Tragic Misadventure”
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Aurelia’s family was informed that she had a pulse, but was brain dead. On October 11 last year, they removed her from ventilator support.
An autopsy found the cause of the five-year-old’s death – drowning.
It was also concluded by the coroner that Aurelia may have had difficulty trying to float using her swimming board. It was also possible that she slipped off the narrow ledge of the swimming pool while walking along its edge.
The death of the child has been ruled a ‘tragic misadventure’ by the court. The girl’s family was not in court to hear the findings.
While delivering the findings of the coroner’s inquiry into the death on Monday (18 October), Coroner Kamala Ponnampalam said that no foul play was suspected regarding the incident.
As per ST, what happened to the 5-year-old was “yet another stark reminder that children are impulsive and unpredictable.”
The coroner added that an attentive adult must always be present to warn children and prevent any more child drowning stories.
“In the case of a swimming pool, a child may not appreciate how swiftly she may be overcome if she should inadvertently fall into the deep waters,” said Coroner Kamala.
Public Swimming Pool Safety Tips For Kids
To avoid any further children drowning stories, ensure that your child is safe while splashing around in pools. As parents, we can keep these safety tips in mind to prevent our children from drowning:
- Always make sure there is a trustworthy pair of eyes watching over your child.
- Check firsthand whether the pool’s depth is adequate and not too deep for your child, before allowing them to dive right in.
- Remind your child to not run near the pool’s edge.
- For younger kids, ensure they wear safety gear such as a safety swim vest or swim rings.
- When playing with their peers around swimming pools, teach your child about ‘no rough play.’
Source: The Straits Times
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