MTV Star Steelo Brim’s Nephew Drowns in Swimming Pool Accident

MTV’s “Ridiculousness” star Sterling “Steelo” Brim‘s 3-year-old nephew drowned in the actor’s North Hollywood home’s swimming pool after wandering into the backyard and falling into the water. According to a TMZ news report, the toddler wandered into the backyard the morning of June 23, 2017 when adults weren’t looking and fell into the pool.

It is not clear how long the child was in the pool before he was discovered. TMZ reports that paramedics rushed to the home and that the child was transported to a nearby hospital. He was pronounced dead just after noon the same day. The boy’s family was visiting Brim from Chicago. Officials have ruled the death an accidental drowning.

Swimming Pool Accidents

The tragedy of swimming pool accidents touches most of us. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), from 2005 to 2014, there were about 3,536 unintentional drowning incidents in the U.S. That is about 10 deaths each day. About one in five people who die in these drowning incidents are children 14 years and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, five others receive emergency medical care for nonfatal submersion injuries.

Near-drowning could result in severe brain damage that may cause long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities and permanent loss of basic functioning. About 50 percent of near-drowning victims who are treated in emergency departments require hospitalization or transfer for further care.

Swimming Pool Safety Tips

Summer is here and this incident should serve as a wakeup call for all of us to ensure that our backyards and pool areas are safe, especially for young children. Here are a few helpful swimming pool safety tips:

• Never leave a child unattended in or near the water. Always supervise children when they are in or near the water. Designate an official “watcher,” an adult tasked with supervising children in the pool. That should be their only task which means they shouldn’t be talking on the phone, texting or playing games.
• Install proper fences, barriers, alarms, and drain covers. These can all be lifesaving devices. Your pool fence should be at least 4 feet tall and should surround the pool on all sides. The water should be accessible only through a self-closing, self-latching gate. Install a door alarm from the house to the pool area and keep pool and spa covers in good working order.
• Know how to perform CPR on children and adults. Often, bystanders are the first to aid a drowning victim. So, learning CPR can help save a life. Keep your CPR certification current.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a swimming pool accident, or if you have lost a loved one, please contact an experienced Los Angeles swimming pool accident lawyer to obtain more information about your legal rights and options.