5 Things to Know to Prevent Drowning Incidents

Jun 20,2016

Two Coachella Valley children have suffered near drowning incidents over the past two weeks. A child nearly drowned at a Palm Desert swimming pool Tuesday. Firefighters responded to the incident at a condominium complex on the 46-000 block of Highway 74 around 6:10 p.m. The toddler was out of the pool but in serious condition when help arrived, and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

Another child was rescued from a near drowning in Desert Hot Springs. CalFire arrived at a community pool on South Agua Dulce Drive around 2:20 p.m. and found the child out of the water. The child was transported to a local hospital with unknown injuries.

Each year we hear stories about near drownings in the Coachella Valley. With temperatures reaching sweltering levels, children are likely going to be spending more time near swimming pools. If you plan to bring your children to the pool this summer, you need to take the right precautions to keep them safe.

Here are 5 things you might not know about drowning:

Most children under 5 who drown are between 1 and 3 years old, and a majority are boys, according to a study by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
Most child drowning victims were being watched by parents when the drowning occurred. It doesn’t take long for a child to slip out of sight. Almost half the victims represented in the CPSC study were last seen in the house, and 31% were in or around the pool before the incident.
Drowning can happen very quickly. Of the children in the study, 77% had only been out of sight for 5 minutes or less.
Drowning is silent. You can’t rely on hearing your child in distress, or the sounds of kicking and splashing in the water, to alert you in the event of a drowning. Keeping your child in sight is the only way to ensure his or her safety.
Seconds count in a near-drowning. If your child is rescued from the pool after a near-drowning, focus on immediately restarting the breathing process and getting them to the emergency room.

“Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional deaths of children under 5 in California. Understanding how quickly and quietly these drownings can occur is the first step to preventing them,” said Attorney Walter Clark, founder of Walter Clark Legal Group.

Our firm has been handling personal injury cases throughout the California Low Desert and High Desert communities for over 30 years. With a 95% success rate, the California personal injury attorneys at Walter Clark Legal Group will fight to hold those responsible for your loss accountable and win compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If you have been injured and want to discuss your legal options, contact us today for a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer. We have offices in Indio, Rancho Mirage, Victorville, and Yucca Valley and represent clients through the entire California Low Desert and High Desert communities.

DISCLAIMER: The Walter Clark Legal Group blog is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal or medical advice. References to laws are based on general legal practices and vary by location. Information reported comes from secondary news sources. We do handle these types of cases, but whether or not the individuals and/or loved ones involved in these accidents choose to be represented by a law firm is a personal choice we respect. Should you find any of the information incorrect, we welcome you to contact us with corrections.