Caution Urged to Prevent Drownings

Alarmed by an increase in the number of children killed in accidental drownings, county law enforcement and health officials are calling for extra caution near residential swimming pools during the last weeks of summer.

“This is particularly alarming because you have very young children drowning, primarily in back-yard swimming pools,” said Billie Weiss, director of the Injury Prevention Project of the county Department of Health Services. “And these accidents are easily preventable.”

According to the Sheriff’s Department, 12 youngsters under age 13 have accidentally drowned in its jurisdiction so far this year, compared with seven during all of 1992. Weiss said the countywide figures for children under age 5 show 16 drownings this year, up from 15 for 1992 as a whole.

Of those 16 victims, three were in the San Fernando Valley: a 1-year-old who drowned in the fish pond of a Calabasas home, another 1-year-old in a Panorama City spa, and a 2-year-old in a Reseda back-yard swimming pool.

“The two valleys (San Gabriel and San Fernando) are the highest risk places because they have the most pools,” Weiss said.

The health department official said the key principle for preventing such accidents is to put barriers between the child and the body of water.

“Research shows that parents usually check on their child only every 10 minutes. No parent can keep an eye on a child all the time. What you have to do is buy time by putting up as many barriers as possible.”

Weiss cautioned against relying on swimming lessons for toddlers as a preventive measure. “Twenty-five percent of children who drowned or nearly drowned had swimming lessons,” she said. “You can’t trust that what a child will do in a swimming class will be the same thing they do if they fall in a pool or become frightened.”

Pool Safety Precautions Already this year, three San Fernando Valley children have drowned in back yard pools or Jacuzzis. Health Department officials say to prevent such accidents, barriers should be put between children and the water. Alarms Install on doors and windows leading to pool. Fencing At least 5 feet high. Gates Self-closing, latch out of child’s reach Openings No more than 4 inches wide Cordless phone Keep near pool to summon help Source: County Department of Health Services