just the other day a 6 year old child in my area was disemboweled by a pool drain. It was at a local community wading pool and she got stuck sitting on the drain with powerful suction. Apparently, the drain cover had been slid off. She's already undergone surgery, but they obviously cannot replace intestines, so she will likely be fed intravenously for the rest of her life and have multiple other problems. It's very sad...very similar to John Edwards' famous case from the 90s.

Just a heads up since lots of people going to the pools this summer have no idea they should worry about the drains!

That is very sad. I can't even imagine what that child is going to go through for the rest of her life.

It makes you think, though. First and foremost.... Where was the child's parent when this happened? Didn't anyone notice that the child was stuck. I'm sure that the child was feeling pain, and no one heard her cry out?

We have a pool (only an above ground one, nothing special) and I make sure my son is in my sight at all times. Even if I have to only run in the house for a second to go pee... I make him get out of the pool while I'm inside.

Also... if this was a public pool... where were the lifeguards? Didn't they see that this child was in distress? And, being a public pool... What about the maintenance people, and/or public inspections for safety issues.

I think there's a "law" or "regulation" around here that those types of covers must be secured in place somehow, not just "pop" off-able (if pop off-able is a word...) What I mean is, my skimmer and cover hang off the outside of the pool, & it doesn't pose a threat. So, I don't have to "secure" it in place, I can just lift it off and place it back on. But a skimmer opening located directly inside the pool has to have a secured lid.

It's so sad that a child has to suffer at the hands of other people's neglect.

=(
Danielle

Wow MJ thanks for the heads up. My daughter loves the water (finally) and this is really scary!!! I'm going to be checking pools from now on A LOT more carefully.

I'm so sorry to hear such a horrible accident can happen!

I agree, something should be done to increase safety in these situations.

-Rach

So far this summer Little Man has decided he doesn't like big pools. But something like a wading pool could be entising. We were just at a local parl with a lake and he loved that... thanks for the info Mel... Now we know what to look/watch out for.

Carrie