Danger Lurks
The recent drowning of a 16-month-old Anaheim girl who fell into the backyard swimming pool of family friends was but another agonizing reminder of the danger ever present when a child and a pool are anywhere close to each other.
The story was tragically familiar. The youngster, according to authorities, wandered away from the adults into the backyard. When the adults noticed she was missing, she was found in the pool. Rescue personnel couldn’t revive her.
That drama is repeated about 1,000 times each year in Orange County, usually involving youngsters under age 4. Most are saved. But not all. Drownings, in fact, are the leading cause of accidental deaths of children between the ages of 1 and 4 in the county, which leads all others in the nation in drownings and near drownings.
There is no season on drowning danger. It exists in December as well as July. It exists whenever a child and pool are in the same place. The prevention is constant vigilance.
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