A 2-year-old girl fell into a swimming pool in the backyard of a San Bernardino home the evening of May 27th. According to a news report in the San Bernardino Sun, the incident occurred at a home in the 1700 block of Pershing Avenue. Paramedics who arrived at the scene rushed the child to a nearby hospital where she remained in critical condition. There was no other information about the girl’s health or details about how she wound up in the water. Police did not suspect anything criminal based on preliminary investigations, the news outlet reports.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the injured toddler and her family. We wish her the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.
Swimming Pool Accident Statistics
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from 2005 to 2014, there were an average of 3,536 fatal unintentional drowning incidents annually nationwide, which adds up to 10 deaths a day. About one in five people who die from drowning are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another five receive emergency department care for nonfatal submersion injuries.
More than 50% of drowning victims treated in emergency departments (EDs) require hospitalization or transfer for further care. These nonfatal drowning injuries can cause severe brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities, and permanent loss of basic functioning. In other words, the victim could remain in a permanent vegetative state.
Prevention is Crucial
As we head into summer, it is important to remember some crucial tips that can help prevent these horrible tragedies:
- Supervise children in and around water at all times. The supervising adult should always be in reach of young children. Drowning occurs quickly and quietly. So, supervising adults should be on high alert at all times.
- Keep the pool area clear of toys. This is because children may be tempted to enter the area unsupervised to play with the toys and end up falling into the water.
- Protect the pool area with a fence and a gate that can be locked. The gate’s latch should be out of reach for children.
- You can further protect very young children by having alarms that will sound if someone enters the pool area. We see a number of tragic accidents where young children wander into the pool area unbeknownst to adults in the home.
If your child has been injured in a swimming pool accident due to someone else’s negligence, you may be able to receive compensation for injuries and damages including medical expenses, cost of rehabilitation, permanent injuries, disabilities and past and future pain and suffering. An experienced San Bernardino swimming pool accident lawyer will be able to help you better understand your legal rights and options.
Source: https://www.sbsun.com/2020/05/27/2-year-old-girl-nearly-drowns-in-san-bernardino-after-falling-into-pool/