INFANT SWIMMING LESSONS AND POOL FENCES

I was certified as an infant swimming instructor in 2001. I had taken a leave of absence from my elementary school teaching position when my son was born in 2000. We built a swimming pool and I was determined to have all of my bases covered with regards to pool safety. The first thing we did was enroll my son, Brady, in Infant Swimming Resource lessons. When the pool deck was completed we also had a pool safety fence installed. I then decided to become an instructor and to promote pool safety.

One of the first questions that I ask every single family that inquires about swimming lessons is 'DO YOU HAVE A POOL SAFETY FENCE?" I also ask whether any other caregiver has a pool and whether that pool has a pool fence. Parents often tend to forget that accidents can happen at anyone's house - grandparents, uncles and aunts, etc. Many of my students were brought to me because they had already fallen into the pool. These parents will tell you time and time again that they did not hear a sound. They turned around and their child was sinking to the bottom of the pool. I instruct every client to enroll their child in swimming lessons as well as having a Pool Guard safety fence installed. Even after completing the swimming lessons a child could slip and hit their head while playing beside the pool. You just never know. You can never be too cautious with your most precious possession. All of the swimming instructors in my area promote pool safety fences. We have worked with parents who have lost a child due to a drowning. These parents wish every single day that they had taken every safety precaution that was available.

As distributors of Pool Guard pool fences Brian and I try our very best to educate parents on the importance of installing a pool safety fence. As distributors of Pool Guard we know that we're installing the safest pool fence available. Drowning prevention -- that is what we're all about.

Submitted by:

Kathy & Brian Rolison
Pool Guard of North Florida

The ABCD of Pool Safety

Drownings and near drownings are on the rise in the valley this summer. The accidents happen every year, but so far this year appears to be worse than others. Theres a good chance of not hearing a child who's in the process of drowning. That's why constant, visual contact is the only option.

More than swimming lessons are needed to protect your child from drowning. Water play can turn tragic in a matter of seconds, and you may not hear it happen. "Drowning is known as the silent death," says Scott Allison with Clark County Fire Department. "So there's very little splashing and hardly ever any kind of noise or yelling or whatever." It's a point thats driven home in video of a near drowning. A child slips to the bottom of this pool unnoticed. She doesn't flail or yell, as some might expect. The lifeguards missed it. They tell us there were only two of them watching a pool with more than a hundred swimmers.

Fortunately the girl was rescued quickly thanks to a high tech computer system. It uses cameras that scan the pool for motionless swimmers. The cameras are both inside the pool and above it. The system sets off an alarm. It alerts lifeguards to potential problems. In case they don't see it on their own.

Not available yet in las vegas, but could be soon in commercial pools here. Most child drownings occur in the family's own backyard. Toddlers are most at risk because they usually can't swim and they're adventurous. To protect your family, experts recommend installing a child safety fence. It should be at least four feet high and surround the pool completely, because this kind of tragedy can occur in minutes.

It's something Cierra Sonetti knows all too well. Her son Austin nearly drowned two years ago in his grandfather's pool. It happened during a family party, with several adults. "I couldn't even explain to you what happened because it happened that quick," Sonetti said. "I think he tried walking on the pool cover and my husband had actually pulled the pool cover back and found him," Sonetti explains. "He was just lifeless and just blue and soaking wet."

Austin is now 3. He suffered brain damage and is in a vegetative state. Cierra spends most of her time caring for him. "It's 150 percent preventable and no family needs to go through it," says Sonetti. It's a message echoed by the Clark County Fire Department in a new public service campaign.

Just a few minutes of oxygen deprivation can lead to permanent brain damage or death. "It's been the worst experience of our life, but we still have him," Sonetti said. "And he's here with us. And it is a lot of work to take care of but I wouldn't trade it. I wouldn't change it for anything."

The fire department wants to remind you about drowning prevention.
A stands for adult supervision, with eye contact. As we showed you, you might not hear anything. B is for barriers like pool fences and alarms. C is for classes. Swimming classes for your kids and CPR for you. D stands for devices. Things like life jackets and rescue tools. However, you should not depend on a floatation device to keep your child safe!