According to local authorities, a 2-year-old boy is dead after he fell into a swimming pool at a birthday party. The accident happened in Polk County. Medical examiners at a Tampa hospital report that the cause of death was drowning.
Reportedly, he was at a birthday party with his parents and wasn’t found until 15 minutes after he fell into the pool, according to The Republican.
Our West Palm Beach injury lawyers understand that there are more than 10 million swimming pools across the country. This includes nearly 400,000 public swimming pools. With the year round sunshine here in the state of Florida, residential swimming pools are common. Unfortunately, access to these pools increases one’s chance for a potentially fatal accident.
As a matter of fact, drowning is the second most common cause of death for children under the age of 15-years-old in the U.S. Experts estimate that about 3 children are killed every day in these kinds of accidents. When these young ones are fortunate enough to survive, oftentimes the repercussions can be severe, life-altering brain damages and injuries.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that children between the ages of 1- and 4-years-old are most likely to die in a drowning accident. It only takes a couple of minutes for these young children to get themselves into trouble. Most of the children who are killed in drowning accidents are out of adults’ sight for less than 5 minutes.
According to federal statistics, another 4 million require medical attention. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), there are more than 5,000 drowning accidents each and every year. About 80 percent of those who are treated for the accidents are younger than 5-years-old and most of these incidents occur in swimming pools.
Drowning Statistics:
-Nine people down in the U.S. every day.
-Males are more likely to drown in a swimming pool than females are.
-Most drownings among young children happen in residential swimming pools.
-Surrounding your swimming pool with fencing has been proven to reduce the risks of drowning accidents by up to 90 percent.
-Portable and/or inflatable pools account for more than 10 percent of pool drownings for children under the age of 5.
-Long-term injuries resulting from near-drowning accidents include permanent loss of basic functioning, learning disabilities and memory problems.
-Nearly 20 percent of fatal child drowning accidents happen in a public pool where there is a certified lifeguard on duty.
-Nearly 80 percent of those who drowned at home were already missing for at 5 minutes before they were discovered. About 70 percent weren’t even expected to be in or near the pool when it happened.
Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez — 1-800-561-7777 for a free appointment to discuss your rights.
More Blog Entries:
Swimming Pool Accidents in Palm Beach County and Elsewhere Most Likely to Affect Children, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, June 3, 2012
Swimming Pool Accidents in Broward County Likely Over Memorial Day Weekend, South Florida Injury Lawyers Blog, May 13, 2012