Swimming Pool Accidents in Riverside County

Two separate swimming pool accidents in Riverside County have left one toddler dead and another critically injured. Zachary Gordon Nahsohn, 2, of Murrieta, died June 4, just a few days after he was found floating in a backyard hot tub in Murrieta. On the same day, June 4, 2013, another 2-year-old girl in Murrieta was in critical condition, a day after she was found in a backyard pool. Police officials arrived at the home and began performing CPR.

The child was in full cardiac arrest, but regained a pulse in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. She remains in critical condition. Officials say the girl was found in the pool after a parent lost sight of her. In Zachary’s case, the boy had been playing in the hot tub with other children during a party at the family’s home when an adult noticed him floating facedown in the water. He was taken to a regional hospital where he died.

Riverside County Drowning Statistics

Riverside County Injury Prevention Services reports that drowning is the leading cause of accidental injury-related deaths for children ages 1 to 4 in Riverside County. Approximately 86 percent of drowning and near-drowning incidents occur in background pools or spas, the agency reports. According to the agency, nine children, all under the age of 6, drowned in Riverside County in the year 2012. Also, 43 children were involved in near-drowning incidents countywide. In 2011, five children died and 36 nearly drowned in Riverside County.

Preventing Drowning Incidents

It is important for parents and caregivers of young children to remember that drowning is a silent event. Often, you don’t hear splashing, crying or screaming. A child can drown in less than an inch of water and lose consciousness within 30 seconds of going underwater. After four to six minutes of submersion a child can have irreversible brain damage because oxygen supply to the brain is cut off.

The best way to prevent these heartbreaking tragedies, officials say, is to take preventive measures. First, adults should always supervise their children when they are near or in the water – be it at the beach, pool, spa or bathtub. Adults should not consumer alcoholic beverages while watching children. Pools must be enclosed with fencing at least 5 feet tall and have self-closing, self-latching gates. Windows and doors leading to the pool area should be equipped with alarms. Learn CPR, first-aid and rescue techniques. If your child has been injured or killed in a swimming pool accident, please contact an experienced Riverside personal injury lawyer to better understand your legal rights and options.