AZ - 2 year old girl almost drowns AGAIN in same pool

[southcitymom]

All four of mine were swimming like fish by age 2 1/2 also. I believe in starting early. Never had a pool at home though and we didn't want one while they were little.

It may never have crossed their minds that the two year old would go out the doggy door. I know two year olds are extremely fast. I had to put an alarm on my sliding glass door for my youngest when he was that age...lol. He set it off several times because he was determined to go outside whenever I turned my back.

Wow, I'm impressed! Mine are waterbugs but it took them to 4/5 to be comfortable.

 

[southcitymom]

A child can drown in under a minute, and in 2 inches of water. That does not mean they were competent, just lucky they found her in time.

I hear you but was responding to a post that inferred the great grandparents weren't competent enough to watch this child. I disagree because evidence shows that they have been competent enough to keep her alive in spite of the little girl's unsafe water fascination.

 

[southcitymom]

I really think they were being investigated for having a improperly installed pool fence. I might even add that the pool fence installer be held accountable because a proper pool fence should NOT have or need a doggy door. If those dogs want to swim, you open the gate and let them in. I am sorry, I know that some are quick to jump in the families defense, but I think it is wrong. The 1st time I could see it being a tragic accident, but the 2nd time is negligence.

If it was two times and the circumstances of the child winding up in the pool were the same and the family had done nothing to respond to the problem after the first time, I would agree with you.

However, the facts in this case don't support that scenario.

 

[czechmate7]

Huge step would have been to put pool fence safety locks on that fence, with no doggy door. There is absolutely no valid reason for having a doggy door to a pool area. None whatsoever. They did the bare minimum so they would not get in trouble with the law the first time. (Arizona is starting to hold more people accountable for drownings, where there is evidence of neglect.) That pool needs to be drained and sealed up if they cannot afford to properly equip it with safety locks.

I know one of the laws in Florida is that any door leading to the outside where there is a pool is required to have an alarm. I mean you can buy one of those door alarms for 15-20 dollars!!!

 

[Amraann]

I know one of the laws in Florida is that any door leading to the outside where there is a pool is required to have an alarm. I mean you can buy one of those door alarms for 15-20 dollars!!!

czechmate, I have lived in Florida for over 20 years and I have never heard of that law.
I myself have had pools and know plenty of people who do and not one of them has an alarm on the door leading to the pool.
That is not to say they don't have safety features in place around their pools but I don't know about this law.

Is it a fairly recent law?

 

[Dena]

I didn't know there were laws in place, that's great. Perhaps that is why CPS is investigating?
Alarms are great for the little kids. We have an alarmed gate at the top of our stairs. There is a certain way it has to be opened (which only the parents know) otherwise the alarm sounds. If an attempt is made to open it, the alarm sounds.

All these things may seem silly. I have had older family members feel it's ridiculous to need alarms and locks and rounded coffee tables (when I sold all my glass, sharp cornered furniture when I was pg) and outlet plugs.
We aren't putting our children in a bubble, we are protecting them. There are plenty of things and knowledge that come in time, not just hands on experience. My son doesn't need an eye punctured out by a glass coffee table to learn he shouldn't run into it.

All I'm saying, and was really trying to say, is that if you know you have a defiant child, your child is energetic, chaotic, touching everything, has to know how everything works, has zero caution (because of their brains, not because of the parents) and loves danger, then do what it takes to keep your kid safe. Sometimes you have to above and beyond. It sucks having to hear the gripes of others who think you take it too far, but it's not their kid and they aren't responsible for the day to day things.

There is nothing wrong with a child who has these behaviors, you just need to modify your home and your life to keep them safe.

 

[czechmate7]

czechmate, I have lived in Florida for over 20 years and I have never heard of that law.
I myself have had pools and know plenty of people who do and not one of them has an alarm on the door leading to the pool.
That is not to say they don't have safety features in place around their pools but I don't know about this law.

Is it a fairly recent law?

4) "Exit alarm" means a device that makes audible, continuous alarm sounds when any door or window which permits access from the residence to any pool area that is without an intervening enclosure is opened or left ajar.

This law also refers to windows that are open to the pool area.

Here is a website that list all the laws in Florida re: residential swimming pools..
http://www.leg.state.fl.us/statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch0515/SEC25.HTM&Title=->2007->Ch0515->Section%2025#0515.25

 

[Amraann]

Thanks for the link!

From what I read at the link the alarm is only required if the pool does not have an intervening enclosure.
If the pool had a fence around it then I don't think the law requires the alarm.

From the link it sounds like you either have to have the alarm OR self latching doors.

[SIZE=-1](c) All doors and windows providing direct access from the home to the pool must be equipped with an exit alarm that has a minimum sound pressure rating of 85 dB A at 10 feet; or [/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1](d) All doors providing direct access from the home to the pool must be equipped with a self-closing, self-latching device with a release mechanism placed no lower than 54 inches above the floor. [/SIZE]

 

[SewingDeb]

they did not fence in the pool. near the top of the second link is the option to watch a video. the view is not good. looks like it was taken from a neighbors yard. they have a back patio about the size of a king size bed. they placed a fence around it only. the baby would still needed to get out of bed and out the back door then go out the doggy door on the patio gate.

for 6 months they had a 2yr old and a fence around the back porch area. i find it so unlikely that the first time this child tried to go out the doggy door was after she slipped out of bed at night. had this family in 6 months never taken this child on that patio? a doggy door is the perfect height to attract a toddler. they never in all that time saw her try to access the door? even if i believe they never took the time to really think it through and did not realize she could fit out the doggy door when they put up the fence in 6 months of having it they would have seen her attempt to use it.

Thanks for pointing out the video. In my mind, I had imagined that after the first accident, they had put a fence around the pool. It was really installed around the patio with the doggy door in the fence rather than the outside wall of the house itself.

With small children in the home, you have to try to anticipate anything they might get into or do. The doggy door was probably a big inticement to this little girl.

In hind sight, they probably realize they should have put the fence around the pool itself rather than the patio. Thank God the little girl is doing better.

 

[czechmate7]

Is it just me. ...because I'm more surprised, shocked, concerned that she was able to get out of the house rather than getting past the fence. Being there are no alarms on the door the child could just as well walked out the front door never to be seen again.