Drowning Accidents
Swimming Pool Accidents and Drowning Accidents lead to over 3,300 deaths in 2000. This rate is particularly high for children under 16 which represent almost 25% of all drowning victims. About 350 children under 5 drown in pools each year. Drowning Accidents are the second leading cause of death for this age group after motor vehicle incidents. Another 2,600 children are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year for near-drowning incidents.
Adding to the tragedy are approximately 5,000 more children who experienced near-drowning emergencies.
Many of these individuals suffer permanent neurological disability. And unfortunately, the vast majority of these accidents happen in backyard pools.
Property owners who have a pool on their property should have a fence around that area of their property.
We also recommend the following:
- Four-sided isolation fencing at last five feet high
- Self-closing and self-latching gates
- Fencing should enclose the pool and spa entirely, preventing direct access
Other safety precautions include:
- Motion detectors
- Effective pool covers
- Remote cameras
Accidents in and around pools present a very special set of circumstances. Injuries are usually more serious and involve an intricate set of laws. Proving someone's negligence is often difficult and sometimes impossible. Early investigation is essential to handling these cases.
