| Summer Safety | |
One of our members recently lost a dear friend of her daughter's; 3-year-old Kalley Lundeen tragically drowned in her family back-yard swimming pool. This article is in memory of Kalley, and will hopefully prevent other families from enduring the pain of losing a child to a pool drowning.
In some of the nation's sunbelt, drowning has been the
leading cause of accidental death in the home of children under 5
years old. The information below can help parents and caregivers
provide young children with the protection they deserve.
Each year, nationwide, more than 300 children under 5 years
old drown in residential swimming pools, usually a pool owned by
their family. In addition, more than 2,000 children in that age
group are treated in hospital emergency rooms for submersion
injuries.
Medical costs for submersion victims during the initial
hospitalization alone can be quite high. Costs can range from an
estimated $2,000 for a victim who recovers fully to $80,000 for a
victim with severe brain damage. Some severely brain damaged
victims have initial hospital stays in excess of 120 days and
expenses in excess of $150,000.
Many communities have enacted safety regulations governing
residential swimming pools -- inground and aboveground. It's up
to parents to comply with these regulations. Apart from these
laws, parents who own pools can take their own precautions to
reduce the chances of their youngsters accessing the family pool
or spa without adult supervision.
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This information is a public document from The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.