23/12/1999

Safety authorities fear child deaths from drowning will escalate over the summer with parents urged to go on RED ALERT around water. Kidsafe (the Child Accident Prevention Foundation), and Melbourne’s Metropolitan Ambulance Service joined forces today to appeal to parents and pool owners to ensure proper planning of pool parties and supervision of children around water. The authorities will demonstrate how a pool party can be safe and fun for adults and children while releasing an Internet site which features an actual 000 call from a Melbourne mother whose child had drowned at home, and an incident and safety sheet for organising a pool party. In a joint statement Mr Ed Szwaja, Executive Officer of Kidsafe Victoria and the Metropolitan Ambulance Service’s Clinical Operations Manager, Ian Patrick said "With thousands of pool parties being planned and people visiting family and friends where pool and spa hazards exist, parents need to be on RED alert and aware of the dangers.” Mr Szwaja said, the briefing will also feature a victim impact statement from the Director of Emergency Medicine at Sunshine Hospital, Dr. Stephen Priestley, on children who have been resuscitated but sustained serious brain damage as a result of the incident. "For every toddler drowning, four to five more will survive a near drowning incident, some with permanent brain damage. These are the forgotten statistics, however, the overall long term emotional and financial impact on families can be just as devastating." Mr Patrick said: “It is vital that parents have a safety plan in place to organise the pool party safely and also a clear plan of action if there is an emergency. “It is the obligation of every parent and every pool owner to be trained in resuscitation so they are fully aware of what to do in the case of a drowning. “Since July this year eight children under six have drowned playing near the water or in the bath and tragically three of these have occurred in the past month in home pools. “Owning a pool carries the same responsibilities as owning a car – both are deadly if used irresponsibly,” Mr Patrick said. “It is obvious pool fencing regulation is not sufficient to save these young lives, it is vigilance – never taking your eyes of young children around water which is needed. " Mr Patrick said the deaths suggested consideration should be given to making training in resuscitation mandatory for pool owners. “While the ambulance calltakers provide excellent CPR instruction over the telephone in such cases, training makes it so much easier to control the panic, answer the questions accurately and do what is required.” Some of the most common fatal scenarios: Parents left child in the pool and went to answer the phone. Parent was talking over the fence to the neighbour and took eye off the child momentarily. Visitor to house was not aware of the presence of a pool or spa. Each parent thought the other was supervising the child. The top safety hints to protect children at a pool party: Never take your eyes off a child near water. Make sure the pool is properly fenced. Shut the gate and never leave it propped open. Nominate a non-drinking adult to supervise the children in and near the pool at all times. Keep the group together so individuals cannot escape supervision. Separate the eating and drinking area from the pool. Don’t expect older children to look after the toddler. Know what to do in an emergency – learn CPR. If you are a first time guest at the house ask if there is a pool. Media Enquiries: Ed Szwaja Kidsafe (03) 94271008 Liz Tunnecliffe, Manager Public Relations, Metropolitan Ambulance Service 0419 338 959 Ron Smith Corporate Media Communications (03) 98185700