Swimming Pool Accidents

July 25, 2012

Infant Drowns in Littleton in Family’s Koi Fish Pond

Infants, toddlers and young children need to be supervised when playing around virtually all bodies of water, whether it is a bathtub, a toilet, a swimming pool, the ocean or even a small Koi fish pond.

According to CBS Boston, a 10-month-old died after drowning in Littleton. The infant died after drowning in a Koi fish pond on the family’s property. Emergency response teams found him in their Koi fish pond at their home on Harvard Road. He was already unresponsive when they found him.

Firefighters arrived at the scene and pulled him from the pond. He was transported to Emerson Hospital and then later taken to Massachusetts General Hospital. He was first listed in serious condition for quite some time. According to officials with the Middlesex district attorney’s office, the toddler died just a few days after, reports ABC 40.

According to the boy’s neighbors, the family is new to the area and had not installed the Koi fish pond. It was left behind by the previous homeowners. It’s about two feet deep and about four feet wide. Unfortunately, it was large enough to cause some serious injuries to the toddler.

According to accident reports, there were a number of kid toys lying near the pond when officials arrived.

The accident is being investigated by the Middlesex County District Attorney’s office.

Swimming pools aren’t the only areas where infants are at risks for drowning accidents. They’re also at serious risks around lakes, ponds, beaches, bathtubs and other bodies of water. Every year, about 1,000 kids are killed in drowning accidents.

It’s important to make sure that you secure all lakes, ponds and swimming pools when you have a young child present. It’s a good idea for you to take a CPR course specialized in helping infants and toddlers. Avoid keeping toys near any ponds or lakes near your home. You also want to make sure that children are always supervised when they’re around these bodies of water. Consider enrolling your child into a swim course to help them to get a head start.

You even need to keep an eye on the bathtub. You might not think about it, but these are common places for drowning accidents to happen.

Bathtub Safety Tips:

-Cover the surface of the tub with a suctioned mat to help to reduce the risks of slipping.

-Fill the tub with no more than 4 inches of water.

-Never leave a child unattended while they’re in the bathtub.

-Put a soft cover on the faucet so they don’t get hurt in the event of a fall.

-Make sure water temps are appropriate for their young bodies.

-Don’t allow newly potty trained children to use the restroom without supervision.

-Never allow water to get hotter than 120 degrees. Any hotter can cause scaling injuries.

-Never allow children to drink the water.

-Keep toilet lids down and bathroom doors closed at all times.
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July 12, 2012

Summertime Risks for Accidents in Boston

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The sun is shining, the heat is here and the pools are now open!

The good news is many pools in the area are opening 7 days a week, according to the City of Boston. Mayor Menino recently made the announcement of 10 city pools that will be open every day of the week for residents to enjoy!

Unfortunately, with more time outdoors and more time in the pool, the risks for accidents are much higher.

The City departments as well as non-profit and corporate partners are working to help to integrate and increase summer programming within the city, to help to make sure that each child resident has an opportunity to do something positive every day of the summer season. In addition to the programs that are being held at community centers across the city, the City of Boston and the Mayor are holding hundreds of city pool parties, movies series, outdoor programs and concerts across the city and in local parks.

Our Boston personal injury attorneys understand that children are out of school for the summer and are looking for a good time. Unfortunately, many of these good-time activities involve some serious risks for accidents, especially with the heat we’ve seen in recent weeks. We’ve seen temps in the upper 90s! For that reason, it’s important you do your part to help you to keep our little ones safe in the summer heat and when playing in and near the pool. Unfortunately, heat injuries are likely for children when we’ve got weather this hot. It only takes a few minutes for them to endure a heat illness. This happens when the heat quickly increases your body temperature beyond its comfortable 98.6° F.

“Now we are also making our City pools accessible to residents 7 days a week, for the first time ever, for anyone who wants to cool off from the summer heat,” said Major Menino.

If you’d like to know what’s going on in your neighborhood, you’re urged to check out the Find Your Summer website. But before you do though, we’re asking parents, guardians and childcare providers to review the follow safety tips to help make sure that everyone is safe during this summer season.

Summertime and Pool Safety Tips:

-Make sure everyone is well hydrated. Drink plenty of water.

-Make sure that you use your sunscreen!

-Never allow children to swim unsupervised.

-Keep a cell phone near you at all times in case of an emergency.

-Consider outdoor activities early in the morning before the heat swoops in.

-Never stay out in the sun for too long.

-Never push others into the pool.

-Teach children to float or swim as soon as possible.

-Avoid drinking and swimming or hanging out in the heat.

-Keep electronics away from the pool and away from other water sources.

-Keep rescue devices and first-aid supplies nearby.
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July 11, 2011

Woman Dead for Days after Massachusetts Swimming Pool Drowning

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Nearly 20 state pools were closed for review after a 36-year-old resident drowned in the Fall River Veteran’s Memorial Swimming Pool. The Massachusetts drowning accident wasn’t discovered until two days after it happened.

Residents are now being let back into these pools. They were temporarily shut down after that fatal safety lapse in Fall River. All pools had to pass precautionary inspections.

A number of agencies were on the case, conducting investigations into the deadly accident. The state Department of Conservation and Recreation started its review of the facility after receiving permission from the Bristol district attorney’s office and police.

Our Boston pool accident attorneys know that many residents and visitors jump into these pools during this time of year because the summer months provide such beautiful outdoor weather.

“We started our own investigation, having been given the green light by the DA last night to do so,” Edward M. Lambert Jr., the Department of Conservation and Recreation commissioner, said yesterday. “The team has been tasked with getting the facts around this disturbing incident.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 10 people die every day from unintentional drownings. Two of these 10 deaths occur to children under the age of 15. As a matter of fact, drowning is the second leading cause of death for children in this age group. Drowning is the sixth leasing cause of unintentional injury death for people of all ages.

In 2007 alone, there were nearly 3,500 deaths resulting from unintentional drownings in the United States. These figures do not include boating-related drownings. One-fifth of every drowning victim is a young child under the age of 15. For every one of these child deaths, four more are sent to emergency rooms for nonfatal submersion injuries.

More than half of all people who experience a drowning incident are treated in emergency departments and are required to stay in the hospital or are transferred to higher levels of care. These nonfatal drownings can cause brain damage. Oftentimes these injuries result in long-term disabilities including memory problems, learning disabilities and permanent loss of basic functioning.

To help prevent water-related injuries:

-Supervise all children when around water. Remain close enough to reach children at all times. Prohibit adults from being involved in any other distracting activity while supervising children.

-Swim with the buddy system. Never swim alone. Swim in areas that have lifeguards whenever possible.

-Learn to Swim. Formal swimming lessons can help to protect people from drowning.

-Learn cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). CPR can help to save someone’s life in the time it might take for paramedics to arrive.

-Don’t use air-filled or foam toys. These toys should not be used in place of life jackets or personal flotation devices. They’re not designed to keep swimmers safe.

-Don’t drink and swim. Don’t drink while supervising swimming children either.
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August 3, 2010

Boston swimming pool accident claims life of twins — for the second time in two weeks

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

A 4-year-old girl has died, less than 24-hours after her sister drown in the family’s in-ground swimming pool in Brockton, the Boston Globe reported.

It is the second time in less than a month that twins have drown as the result of a Massachusetts swimming pool accident. We reported two weeks ago on our Boston Injury Attorney Blog that twin toddlers drown in a swimming pool accident.

Statistics show that 9 out of 10 child drownings occur while an adult is directly supervising a child. Authorities are encouraging parents to practice “touch supervision,” in which small children are never more than an arm’s length away. The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that almost 50,000 people a year require emergency room treatment as the result of a swimming pool accident.

Each year, about 600 children die in swimming pool accidents, more than half of them are killed in swimming pools at home.

The CPSC offers swimming pool maintenance and safety tips.

In this case, the 4-year-old girl died shortly after midnight on Sunday. Her twin sister died Saturday afternoon.

Department of Children and Families reported receiving a tip about the twins and said it was also looking after the welfare of a 10-year-old child who was in a neighbor’s care. It is unclear whether DCF had received a tip prior to the accident and failed to properly investigate, or whether the tip came in response to the drownings.

CNN reports the pool appeared to be unused and in disrepair. The parents work as a nurse and a medical assistant.

The two girls were not breathing when pulled from the family pool about 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, according to the Brockton rescue officials. The twin girls that died in last month’s drowning accident were both 2-years-old.
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July 22, 2010

Tragic Massachusetts swimming pool accident claims life of twin girls in family pool

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

The tragic drowning deaths of twin toddlers in a Massachusetts swimming pool accident is a heartbreaking reminder of the need for constant supervision of young children around a swimming pool.

Constant supervision. Statistics show that 9 out of 10 child drownings occur in incidents where an adult was directly supervising a child. Many organizations encourage “touch supervision,” in which a capable adult is literally within an arm’s reach of a child at all times while in the water. In some cases, newer homes will be equipped with alarms on doors leading to the pool area. In all cases, alarms or door locks should be used in homes with young children.

As we reported on our Boston Personal Injury Attorney Blog over the Memorial Day weekend, Massachusetts drowning accident happen almost exclusively between Memorial Day and Labor Day and most involve young children. Whether an accident occurs in a residential swimming pool, a commercial pool (such as those at hotels, parks or tourist attractions) or in a family’s own pool, a Massachusetts child injury attorney should always be consulted to ensure that your rights are protected.

We understand that monetary damages cannot begin to compensate for the serious injury or death of a child. However, ensuring that resources are available is vital to treating a child injured in a near-drowning accident, the effects of which can last for months or years and may even result in symptoms presenting long after the incident. In cases, where a child tragically drowns, counseling for other family members, funeral expenses and other factors should be considered. In some cases, a defective pool product or safety device may have been responsible. In other cases, an experienced Massachusetts wrongful death attorney may be able to assist in seeking damages from your homeowner’s insurance policy.

In this case, the Essex District Attorney’s Office reports that police were called to a home in Lynnfield at about 10:20 a.m. Saturday for a report of babies in the pool, the Associated Press reported. The two-year-old girls were transported to the hospital, where they were pronounced dead.

The girls’ mother was home at the time. Authorities report the girls may somehow have managed to open a remote pool cover.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission offers Pool Safety Tips.
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May 28, 2010

Massachusetts swimming pool accidents, drowning accidents, a summer danger

by Jeffrey S. Glassman

Memorial Day weekend and the end of the school year is an excellent time to talk to your children about swimming pool and water safety. Massachusetts drowning accidents occur almost exclusively between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Tragically, most Massachusetts swimming pool accidents involve small children. Whether an accident occurs at a residential swimming pool or in a commercial pool, such as those at apartment complexes, hotels and public parks, families dealing with a drowning or near-drowning accident should contact a Massachusetts child injury lawyer to help protect their rights.

Property owners have an obligation to provide a safe environment for visitors and guests. A premise liability claim should be filed in the event of a pool accident. Near-drowning accidents are complex medical and legal cases and frequently involve cognitive impairment that is not always readily apparent in small children.

While the majority of swimming pool accidents occur in warm weather states, including Florida and Arizona, there is evidence that children in northern states are at increased risk because of their inexperience around swimming pools.

In response to the high number of child deaths, the Consumer Product Safety Commission is launching a Nationwide Pool Safety Campaign, which is aimed at improving pool safety in all 50 states through the long, hot summer months.

“It is important to keep in mind that these numbers represent family tragedies. Preventing child drownings year round is a priority for the CPSC,” said Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. “The Pool Safely campaign will start a national conversation with parents and children, pool owners and operators and industry professionals about the simple safety steps they can take to protect themselves and their families in and around pools and spas.”

-Each year, an average of 385 children die in swimming pool accidents — 299 of those involve young children under the age of 5.

-About 4,200 children younger than the age of 15 are treated in emergency room each year as a result of a swimming pool or spa accident.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission offers the following safety tips:

-Teach children to float or swim as soon as possible.

-Always provide adult supervision for swimming children.

-Even an adult should not swim alone.

-Teach children about the dangers of rough play, running, or diving.

-Never push anyone into a pool.

-Always go feet first on slides.

-Make sure other swimmers are out of the way before entering a pool.

-Keep rescue and first aid devices near the pool.

-Teach children what to do in case of an emergency.

-Keep electrical appliances out of the pool area to avoid a shock hazard.

-Never swim after drinking alcohol, eating or taking medication.

Massachusetts Law (105CMR435.00) includes strict rules and regulations governing swimming pool construction, maintenance and safety. Failure to comply with the law can leave a pool owner liable in the event of a serious or fatal pool accident.
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