Drowning is the second leading cause of death in children under the age of four, second only to congenital birth defects. Most drownings occur in home swimming pools and are the result of a lack of proper fencing and/or a lack of proper supervision. While most homes that have a pool usually have a six foot privacy fence at the property line, neighborhood children and children from the home can still access the pool through the house (or through the privacy fence gate if it is not properly locked and secured). For this reason, all pools should also have a separate four sided isolation fence with self-closing and self-locking gates that completely prevent a child from gaining access to the pool. The Centers for Disease Control estimate that an isolation fence reduces a child’s risk of drowning by 83% compared to a three-sided property line fence.
Formal swimming lessons for children ages 1- 4 and close adult supervision are also crucial to preventing child pool drownings. Pool drownings can also occur in public swimming pools, hotel swimming pools, and waterparks because of an inattentive or absent lifeguard or improper fencing.
Many times, children who survive pool drownings will still have suffered serious brain injuries due to oxygen deprivation. These children will require extensive medical care and treatment throughout their lives.
If you would like to speak with a lawyer about a pool drowning, please call the Austin Bradley Law Office. We offer a free consultation, and if you decide to hire us to represent you or your child, you will owe us nothing unless we make a financial recovery in the case.
