6-year-old girl dies after swimming lesson accident in Singapore

A most tragic news. A 6-year-old girl died after a swimming lesson accident in Singapore. 

She was supposed to start Primary 1 this year. Her parents had even bought her school uniform... :(

According to The Straits Times, the incident happened on Dec 20, 2017. The little girl was taking swimming lessons at the Kallang Basin swimming complex.

She was in a class of five, and the coach was giving 1-1 guidance. Apparently, the child was waiting for her turn in the 0.9 m pool.

All we know is, she was found unconscious and floating on the water.

The SCDF was informed and the girl was rushed by ambulance to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. She was later moved to KK Women's and Children's Hospital.

The child died on Jan 9, 2018, after lying unconscious in hospital for 20 days...

Her grandmother was quoted by Shin Min Daily News as saying, "She is a very obedient girl, my son's only child. Everyone treats her like a little princess."

"We are not trying to assign blame, but we want to know what went wrong.

"We also hope that her death serves as a reminder to others to be more alert and not to repeat this tragedy."

Apparently, the coach was suspended after the incident. Police are investigating what really happened.

We can't imagine what this family went through...

It is important that parents keep an eye on their children all the time, even during swimming lessons. Avoid reading, using the phone and using the time for socialising.

It is recommended that parents be at a close distance from their children, keeping them at arm's reach and within sight at all times.

There have been cases, where children who were otherwise good swimmers got panicky in water and drowned. 

Contrary to what we see in movies, drowning is very often a silent killer. Victims may not kick and scream.

The child goes in and breathes instinctively. Water gets into the lungs. It can happen in seconds. What is scary is, children can drown in less than a minute, in just inches of water.

Children who cannot swim or are weak swimmers should wear personal flotation devices even when they are just playing near a pool. A child may enter or fall into the deep end of the pool unnoticed, without any splashing or screaming.

It is also important to note that these devices are just buoyancy aids, they are not drown-proof. Adult-supervision is required at all times.

Also READ: Singapore boy drowns in waters off East Coast Park

(Source: The Straits Times)