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by MarcMartinez from Phoenix

Last Post 6 days, 14 hours Ago


Child Drownings
Jul 3, 2008 | 5:08 PM
Category: News
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I covered another near drowning today involving a 2 year old girl. She was underwater for about 5 minutes before her family noticed. The family did not have a pool fence. I constantly wonder how this can happen over and over, not just in the summer but throughout the year. I am wondering, aside from fences, what do you do to make sure little ones don't slip out and slip under the water? It is so preventable but yet happens way too much in Arizona.
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Member Comments Total Comments: 10
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KenOfAZ read my blog view my photos
Jul 3, 2008 | 5:43 PM

Some people just don't have the smarts to be parents.
Anyone with small kids and a pool that doesn't have a fence with a self closing and latching gate, are not good parents.
mountainmamma read my blog
Jul 3, 2008 | 9:21 PM

CHARGE THE ADULTS IN CARE OF THAT LITTLE GIRL! I don't care what the circumstances are she should not have been alone long enough to get near that pool! NEGLIGENCE! We live in the mountains and we just put up an above ground pool 18' 48" deep I have 3 small enough to drown. They are under no circumstances allowed in the front yard w/out an adult the cover is always on when not in use and the ladder is removed! I am just so sick of hearing these poor innocent little kids in these situations b/c of NEGLIGENT PARENTS/CAREGIVERS. They should be charged and maybe we won't hear so many of these horrific incidents!
hockeymom read my blog
Jul 4, 2008 | 7:34 AM

Everytime I hear one of these stories my heart breaks.

Doors and windows leading to the pool area need to have alarms on them with no off switch. Doors should have special handles 5ft off the ground making it difficult for a small child to open. The doors should automaticly close after exiting or entering the doors. Special window locks need to be on all the windows leading to the pool area.

I have said this before and I recall that I got some nasty feed back, BUT, a pool owner should assume that they are going to be so comfortable in there home that they will at many points forget about the danger in the back yard or front yard as montainmamma has. Pool owners should assume that a drowning can happen in thier pool. I think that by assuming it can happen, there is more of a concience awareness and effort to keep it from happening.
jmmy read my blog
Jul 4, 2008 | 1:44 PM

First of all for those who do not have fencing those homeowners should be charged to the fullest extent. Those who "lost track of the little ones" same thing. Jail time no if's or butt's about it. Those people are stupid snd do not deserve a break. Just like killing someone while driving drunk.
aksjfd read my blog
Jul 4, 2008 | 9:50 PM

Personally, I thing the 'watch your kids around water' campaign probably helps the statistics, however, I think they are missing the boat a lil bit on this one. It should be:
Teach all your kids to swim and watch them around water. I remember my friends taking thier children to some one on one swimming class at 2 and those kids could get out of the pool with jeans on and a hoodie put on backwards covering thier face. You should do a news story on that.
MarcMartinez read my blog
Jul 5, 2008 | 2:31 PM

That is a good story idea aksjfd. I agree the younger you start kids swimming the better, even if you don't have a pool.
JustMePA read my blog view my photos
Jul 7, 2008 | 4:59 PM

AKS well said. The simple fact is you can't watch them 24/7. I raised 4 daughters (all graduated from college now) they have been around a pool since birth, and my wife and I made sure they could swim.
Teach them to swim and you get more time between falling in the pool and dead. No fence gives you that. Yes and keep an eye on them.
nocgirl
Jul 8, 2008 | 10:13 AM

There is no reason why a child that cannot swim should be living or staying in a house with a fence with no pool. In this bad economy, there are tons of houses on the market, and for rent that have no pool at all and many houses avail with a fence. I saw that neighborhood, it was pretty nice which tells me the parents should be able to afford a pool fence. Such a shame the parents didn't think it was that important. You should have at least one good barrier to prevent the child from accessing the pool.

Shame on these parents.
jmmy read my blog
Jul 10, 2008 | 5:48 PM

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to go to Home Depot and purchase the required materials and install a fence. Any blonde can do it.
iam_joann read my blog
Jul 15, 2008 | 12:54 PM

I think this continues to happen because parents are to involved with themselves and others. I get told by family members all the time because im always on my kids like a hawk i have 4 13,10,2,1 every age has their own problems involved and you need to watch them all!!!!! When i am at a house with a pool my little ones are always right next to me. yeah i get comments from my mom and sisters saying that im to overbearing that i need to let them be kids but my question is cant we be parents let parents be parents. you need to watch your kids around water around your house every where. I have friend that left an ashtray where her 1 year old get reached and she got tobacco poisoning from it. should she have just been perhaps more of a parent and think to place it some where where she could not reach~ same thing with a pool dont give your children the opportunity to find out that if they fall in they cant get out. i think alot of parents have that whole idea that let them learn if they fall they will learn. no sorry your the parent prevent it from happening. watch them close
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MarcMartinez

I am a weekend anchor and general assignment reporter at Fox 10. I've been at the station since June, 2002 and love it here in the Valley of the Sun!

Member Since: 1/10/2007


 

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