Preventing accidental injury - Pool Safety

Swimming pool accident: Over the weekend a 6yr old boy from Union County died during a birthday party for him at a friend's backyard pool.

Drowning usually occurs quickly and silently. The boy had been using a flotation device earlier in the day. He took it off to use the bathroom, then returned to the pool area. To read more about this story visit www.nj.com >>

Most children who drown in swimming pools were last seen in the home, had been missing from sight for less than five minutes and were in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning.**

What can you do?

• Install four-sided isolation fencing at least five feet high and equipped with self-closing and self-latching gates. This alone could prevent 50 to 90 percent of childhood residential swimming pool drownings and near-drownings.


• Door alarms, pool alarms and automatic pool covers, when used correctly, can add an extra level of protection.


• Educate your children about pool safety and household rules. Do NOT rely on flotation devices alone.


• Never leave a child unsupervised in or around a swimming pool or spa, even for a moment. During a pool party, designate a lifeguard and rotate shifts.

** Statistic courtesy of http://usa.safekids.org