Watch Your Kids Around Water!!

No matter how many times you hear it, no matter how many times you see it, it can't be said often enough:

Watch your kids around water!

There wasn't one child drowning in the Phoenix area this week — there were FOUR.

"Two toddlers, an 18-month-old girl and a 3-year-old boy, drowned Wednesday night in a family pool, the third and fourth child drowning victims in three days in Mesa.

Mesa police spokesman Detective Johnny Lopez, who called the deaths a "double tragedy," said that the children were found about 7 p.m. by the girl's aunt and uncle, who had been watching television and lost track of time."

LOST TRACK OF TIME??? No, they "lost track" of two babies! I hope they get plenty of time to watch TV in prison.

"A 3-year-old boy died in an apparent drowning in an apartment complex swimming pool in Mesa this morning. Colin Keran was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, Mesa police spokeswoman Holly Hosac said.
. . .

The parents were home at the time of the drowning, Hosac said. The father, who works at night, was in bed and the mother told police she was sick with the flu and also in bed. The parents told police they had no idea the boys had left the apartment, Hosac said. The victim and his brother were found in their pajamas."

Excuse me? You are a parent and you have NO IDEA YOUR 3 AND 5 YEAR OLDS HAVE LEFT YOUR HOME?!? 

"Mesa police responded to an apartment home near Greenfield Road and University Drive where they found an unconscious 8-month-old, Cathy Marie Romero.

According to statements from the family, Cathy's mother was bathing her and three other children Tuesday afternoon when she stepped away for a moment and left the children in the care of a 15-year-old nephew, police said. Several minutes later, one of the children in the bath appeared holding Cathy's body." (my emphasis)

Other stories say it was several minutes. Doesn't really matter how long it was, a second is too long. And now an 8 month old is dead, and a 15 year old is probably screwed up for the rest of his life. 

In addition to the four dead kids, there were several near drownings in the last week.

"Police said the 3 year old child wandered into the pool near 31st and Dunlap avenues because of a fence that wasn't latched."

No, it happened because there wasn't an ADULT watching the three year old child.

"Firefighters responded to the scene of a near-drowning after a 3-year-old boy was pulled from a swimming pool at a home near Price Road and Southern Avenue Friday night.

The child was apparently under the supervision of a 12-year-old child who had gone in to the home to grab a towel.

The 12-year-old and an adult, who was also at the home, were able to pull the child from the pool. The boy was reportedly breathing and taken to the hospital as a precaution." (my emphasis)

12 year olds don't understand that you can't leave a 3 year old alone near a pool. WHERE WAS THE ADULT?

"A 3-year-old boy nearly drowned in a spa at an East Side apartment complex Thursday afternoon, a Tucson Fire Department spokesman said.

The boy was in the pool area of the apartments, at 8030 E. Lakeside Parkway, at about 1 p.m. with his 2-year-old sister, his uncle, 19, and a family friend, said Capt. Paul McDonough, a Tucson Fire Department spokesman.

The uncle, Frank Pizano, said he went to the bathroom, and when he returned to the pool area, he found his nephew floating face-down in the spa." (my emphasis)

What part of "you can't leave them alone for a SECOND" do these people not understand???

Please please please, watch your kids around water. Don't trust pool fences, don't trust flotation devices, don't trust young children to watch your children. Don't leave to go to the bathroom, don't go answer the phone. Watch your kids EVERY SECOND around water. Four dead children in one week is four too many, and it's not even prime pool season yet. Every single child drowning is preventable.

 

[tags]child drownings, water safety, Phoenix pools[/tags]