Whether it’s the school holidays or just over the weekend, playing by the pool is a fun time for everyone in the family. However, letting your kids play on their own – especially if the pool is deep or they can’t swim – is always risky.
And it’s not just the young ones we should keep an eye on. Very recently, we heard of the tragic news of a 12 year old boy drowning in a swimming pool in Bedok.
Kid drowns in swimming pool after friendly fight
Two 12-year-old twin boys were having a friendly wrestling match by a swimming pool in Waterfront Gold condominium (located at Bedok Reservoir Road) when things took a dark turn.
Tragically, during their play, the older twin lost his balance and plunged into the deeper part of the pool, where he lost consciousness.
The police were notified about a drowning incident at 756 Bedok Reservoir Road roughly 2.30pm on Monday, 10th December 2018.
A representative from the police reported that the unconscious boy was brought to Changi General Hospital, but succumbed to his injuries.
According to the Straits Times, the twins were visiting their grandfather at the time. The granddad attempted to save the drowning boy, but didn’t succeed.
Lianhe Zaobao reports that the victim also had blood on his body. However, they could not establish what had caused it.
Currently, police investigations are underway. They have categorised the tragedy as unnatural death.
When a kid drowns in swimming pool it’s a bitter ragedy – especially if it was preventable. | Image source: Stock Photo
Children drowning in apartment pools more common than thought
Cases of children drowning in condominium pools have always been a worrying matter.
One 2016 report from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital revealed a startling fact: more and more children are falling into pools and nearly drowning.
In these five years (2011-2016), the report stated that a total of 104 near-drowning incidents had happened. Among them, there were 10 deaths recorded, too.
These numbers are a large increase compared to the last five-year period, during which reports state there were only five near-drowning incidents and 12 deaths.
The most recent report explains that majority of the incidents involved one- to six-year-olds, and that the alleged deaths all happened in private swimming pools.
Safety tips to prevent drowning incidents in children
Prevention is better than cure
- Have an adult stay close by and keep an eye. Always! Never look away, not even for a few seconds. For a situation to turn sour, you don’t need that long.
- No life-jackets, no swimming — not even playing by the pool. Ignoring the risk of drowning is a real danger that could lead to drowning.
- Do not assume your kids are safe even if they know how to swim. A large percentage of drowning cases happens to children who have had swimming lessons. It’s also possible for older kids to fall into a pool, panic and forget everything that they’ve learned about swimming.
- Help your kids learn swimming safety skills. Teach your children how to relax in water and to hold their breath when under water in case of emergencies. It would also help if they could learn how to recover their breath and swim to the side of the pool when they start drowning. This will really be helpful just in case your kid goes into the pool without your knowledge.
Parents, do hone your first-aid and CPR skills so that you can help when a kid drowns in swimming pool. | Image Source: Stock Photo
How to revive an unconscious child: CPR with rescue breaths
If you have previous knowledge or taining in CPR including rescue breaths and are confident enough to use your skill, you should give chest compressions with rescue breaths. Here’s how:
- Place the heel of your hand on the centre of the person’s chest, then place the other hand on top and press down by 5-6cm (2-2.5 inches) at a steady rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
- After every 30 chest compressions, give two rescue breaths.
- Tilt the casualty’s head gently and lift the chin up with two fingers. Pinch the person’s nose. Seal your mouth over their mouth and blow steadily and firmly into their mouth for about one second. Check that their chest rises. Give two rescue breaths.
- Continue with cycles of 30 chest compressions and two rescue breaths until they begin to recover or emergency help arrives.
Parents, we hope that this article on kid drowns in swimming pool has been helpful. If you liked this article, consider sharing it on your social media platform!
Reference: Straits Times
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