Irvine Near-Drowning Leaves Toddler in Serious Condition

A 3-year-old girl was hospitalized in serious condition after she nearly drowned in a community spa in an Irvine townhome complex. According to a news report in the Orange County Register, the girl fell into the spa when her father was barbecuing the evening of September 27, 2014. A bystander saw the 3-year-old at the bottom of the spa and pulled her out. An off-duty nurse performed CPR until fire personnel arrived. The girl was “lethargic and vomiting” when they arrived. She was rushed to Hoag Hospital in Irvine where she remains in serious condition.

Our thoughts and prayers are with this young near-drowning victim. We wish her the very best for a speedy and complete recovery.

 Drowning and Near-Drowning Incidents

According to the Orange County Fire Authority, this is the third drowning or near-drowning call they have responded to just over the weekend. The other incidents involved older adults. One of the incidents involved a toddler left unattended in the pool at a motel in Santa Ana. The boy nearly drowned. Fire Authority personnel have responded to 66 drowning or near-drowning calls so far this year and of those, 28 have resulted in fatalities. Near-drowning can also result in serious consequences for victims such as permanent or irreversible brain damage.

 Preventing Child Drowning

Children are naturally drawn to water. Parents and caregivers can help prevent drowning and near-drowning with multiple lawyers of protection. Here are a few valuable tips:

•  Surround your pool with a fence that is at least 4 feet tall. Make sure the slatted fences have no gaps wider than 4 inches so children cannot squeeze through. Install self-closing gates with latches that are beyond a child’s reach.
• Install alarms to protect any doors leading to the pool area. Add an underwater alarm that sounds as soon as something hits the water. And make sure you can hear the alarm inside the house.
• Block pool and hot tub access with a rigid, motorized safety cover. Secure a cover on spas or hot tubs as well. Empty inflatable pools after each use.
• Remove toys from the water and the area surrounding a pool or spa.
• Never leave children unsupervised near a pool or hot tub.
• Keep emergency equipment such as a safety ring with a rope near the pool area. Make sure you always have a phone in the pool area.

If your child has been injured in a swimming pool accident while under someone else’s watch or on someone else’s property, please contact an experienced Orange County personal injury lawyer for more information about pursuing your legal rights.