A tragedy has hit a Florida family, when their 3-year-old son died.
Florida state officials are currently investigating the drowning death of a 3-year-old Palm Beach County boy which happened earlier this month, while his father was allegedly asleep inside the family’s home.
The boy was at home with his father while his mother was at work on Thursday, Aug. 10, court documents from the Florida Department of Children and Families show.
The father apparently fell asleep — and state records emphasize that it’s unknown whether that was intentional — and when he woke up, the 3-year-old boy was missing.
A search of the house was unsuccessful, so the father asked a neighbor to assist him to look for the boy, state officials said.
Over 30 minutes had passed before the father contacted the boy’s mother, who then called law enforcement, DCF records show.
The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office thereafter responded to the scene.
Authorities then found the boy floating in the family’s swimming pool. They rushed him to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where he was pronounced dead.
Accidents do happen but here are a few water safety tips which we as parents can do to prevent such a tragic occurrence and ensure that your time spent at the pool is a happy and safe time for everyone.
Supervision
Never leave a child alone in or around water – be it the pool, ocean or even in the bath! Be watchful and keep an observant eye on the children around water, keep pool gates locked or cover your pool with a certified pool net. A basic course in first aid and CPR will also make a difference in the outcome of an incident should the skills be applied timeously.
Barriers
Having multiple layers of safety around pool and spa areas or any other open bodies of water (such as a safety net, a closed fence and a surface alarm) can prevent tragic accidents.
Prevention is better than cure!
Make sure that these barriers are well maintained and properly fitted at all times. Also, make sure that when your kids are swimming over at a neighbor or family member’s home that these are in place.
Swimming lessons
My toddler daughter has started swimming lessons this year and the first lessons she learned was how to climb out of the pool and how to float on her back. At this stage, I cannot be bothered about her perfecting any swim strokes – Safety is the top priority and the main reason for the lessons. The strokes can come at a later stage.
However, children should actually learn to swim as soon as possible. It’s very important for them to be trained in survival skills such as floating and treading water BUT even if they are able to do so, constant supervision is still always necessary whether it’s for 5 minutes or just 30 seconds. Accidents happen very quickly!
Finally and this goes without saying – remember to have the sunhats and sunblock at hand, AND don’t forget to have fun in the water!