Children Plus Pools Equal Danger

Juan Carlos Urrostiqui, age 3.

Chivon Kathleen Baird, age 13 months.

Graham Hart, age 2 1/2.

Only days ago these children were happy, fun-loving youngsters. Now, sadly, they are statistics--drowning victims who died in backyard swimming pool and spa accidents in Orange County.

Each separate death is a tragedy. Even more tragic and numbing is the overall impact of their deaths, all in one week, that brought to 18 the number of children who have drowned in Orange County this year. That’s more child drownings than any other year in county history, surpassing the 17 that died in 1983. And this is only Sept. 14.

Drowning is now the leading cause of accidental death among children between the ages of 1 and 4 in California. Each year throughout the state about 140 youngsters under 4 drown--and another 40 are pulled from pools with brain damage that leaves them tied to machines or mentally retarded for life.

Doctors and safety officials here are frustrated by the fact that Orange County usually has one of the worst records in the state and nation in child drownings and near-drownings.

Perhaps it’s the more than 100,000 backyard pools and spas located in affluent Orange County. Whatever the reason, officials report about 1,000 child-pool related incidents a year in the county.

Most of the accidents can be prevented and the deaths and disabilities reduced. One thing that could help is for all adults to remain constantly aware of the deadly combination of children and backyard pools--and never let youngsters out of their sight when the two are anywhere near each other.

Some doctors who come in contact with child drowning victims would like to see people stop building backyard swimming pools or buying homes that have them until all children in the family are at least 5 years old. But as long as pools and spas do exist, adults should also teach youngsters life-saving do’s and don’ts on pool safety, including how to swim. Adults should also know how to administer mouth-to-mouth and cardiopulmonary resuscitation and install and use pool covers and legally required fences and gates. And above all, they should exercise constant vigil.

Recalling the recent deaths of the three youngsters and reciting the grim statistics is not intended to bring even more anguish to their loved ones. We react to the recent deaths, as we have done to other drownings in the past, in the hope that increased adult awareness will help prevent turning more young lives into tragic statistics.