Glendale Child Falls in Pool

A boy was taken to Phoenix Children’s Hospital last Thursday after he fell into a pool. The two-year-old was awake and crying when the paramedics arrived at the Glendale home but we still have not heard an update on whether or not he is okay. We keep him and his family in our thoughts.

The boy’s family apparently had lost track of him for nearly 5 minutes and he found his way to the unfenced pool.

Please, please remember how important it is to have a fence around your pool. Unfortunately, in this incident two of the most important safety factors regarding swimming pools were missing: 1) a fence, and more importantly, 2) supervision. Nothing can replace supervision when it comes to children’s safety around water. Especially now, as the summer approaches, please have a set plan for keeping your children safe.

Living in the Valley we have seen too many of these incidents. As pool owners, we must take responsibility to secure our property and any areas around water. Many accidents involving swimming pools occur because the owner hasn’t taken the precautions necessary to keep people in the area safe, especially children. Fences, warning signs, and self-latching gates are just a few of the options available. These are especially helpful if the pool isn’t in use or if a child isn’t living in the home. Indeed, many of these are not merely options, but required by law, depending on the city. You should check your City’s requirements for more information.

Having young children myself, I am well aware of the amount of work it takes to watch over these “balls of endless energy”. However, if we are not 100% up to the task, 100% of the time, then we should not allow our children in an environment that is near water. No matter what precautions are taken---children will find a way. Even if good swimmers, accidents can occur which render them unable to save and protect themselves.

At Zachar & Associates, we have represented one too many families who lost a child. Extra care and precaution is always needed to make sure that those close to us are not the next victim. If you have questions, please feel free to call us to discuss your legal issues.