Child Drownings for ’96 Eclipse Last Year’s Toll

The weekend death of a Laguna Niguel toddler and a critically injured 3-year-old Lake Forest boy served as grim reminders that the number of drownings and near drownings in Orange County has reached an “epidemic,” health and safety officials said Monday.

At least 32 drownings or near drownings have been reported so far this year, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Summer’s not over and drownings have claimed the lives of six children 4 and younger--more than the number of youngsters who drowned in all of 1995, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency.

“This is out of control,” Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Scott Brown said Monday. “I challenge anyone to look at these figures and tell me that’s anything short of an epidemic. I think one drowning is one too many. These deaths are preventable.”

The Saturday evening death of 2-year-old Elena McCormack was especially distressing to Brown and others trying to increase the public’s awareness of drownings. The girl was found found unconscious in her backyard swimming pool in Laguna Niguel, the same pool in which she nearly drowned a year ago, Brown said.

It appears the motorized pool cover was broken, leaving the pool unguarded, he said.

“Our hearts go out to the family, but there are a lot of ‘whys’ here,” Brown said. “It’s quite puzzling.”

Lt. Tom Garner of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department said the death is under investigation, as is routine in such cases. The girl’s grandmother and parents declined to comment Monday.

In the second, unrelated case, a 3-year-old Eric Moore of Lake Forest was left unattended in a bathtub when his father walked away to answer the phone, Brown said. The father returned to find the child submerged.

The boy was in critical condition Monday at Children’s Hospital at Mission.

Several Orange County agencies keep track of drownings and near-drownings in their own way. As a result, there are slight discrepancies when it comes to tallying the number.

The Orange County Coroner’s Office, for example, estimates 19 accidental drownings this year, including 10 victims who were 16 and younger. Meanwhile, the Orange County Health Care Agency estimates at least 17, including six victims 4 and younger.

Children’s Hospital of Orange County, which is working closely with Brown to educate the public about how to prevent drownings, analyzed the coroner’s statistics to determine that at least seven children aged 4 and younger have drowned in Orange County so far this year.

But one statistic remains clear: for the past several years, drowning has been the leading cause of injury-death for 1- to 4-year-olds, said Amy Dale, co-chairwoman of the Drowning Prevention Network of Orange County.

Brown, of the county Fire Authority, keeps tabs on near drownings too. Those victims often suffer severe brain damage and developmental disabilities, he said.

“People just don’t understand the risk,” said Dr. Hildy Meyers of the Orange County Health Care Agency, who suggests that people imagine their pool or spa to be a bottomless hole.

“If you had a hole in your backyard, you’d put something around it to prevent a child from falling in,” Meyers said. “That’s a message that more people need to understand.”

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Swimming Pool Safety

Most drownings in Orange County occur in swimming pools or spas. Here are some steps to prevent such a tragedy:

* Erect fencing, at least 5 feet high, between pool/spa from your house. Wood, masonry, wrought-iron bars (no more than 3 inches apart) or some other non-climbable material.

* Install alarms on doors and windows leading to water, at least 5 feet above ground level.

* Make self-closing/latching gates leading to water open outward with the latches out of children’s reach.

* Install automatic pool cover, attached by runners to cement.

* Keep a phone next to the water, with emergency numbers listed.

* Make sure rescue equipment such as life preserver ring, shepherd’s crook are kept near pool.

How to Watch

* Never assume someone is watching children; assign an adult to watch pool/spa area, particularly during social gatherings.

* Don’t allow children to play in pool/spa area.

* Never leave a child alone near pool/spa, bathtub, toilet or any standing water where child’s nose and mouth could be submersed.

* If a child is missing, look in the water first.

Sources: American Red Cross, Orange County Fire Authority

Safety Information

For Red Cross-approved swimming lessons or CPR training, call (714) 835-5381, Ext. 100.

For a free safety inspection of a pool or spa area, call the Orange County Fire Authority at (714) 744-0496.

For more drowning prevention information call Children’s Hospital at (714) 532-8887.

Sources: American Red Cross, Orange County Fire Authority