A GAP reader requested that I post this story and information. I was torn, because while I know it's vital safety information (it's summertime and drowning is the #1 cause of accidental death in children under the age of 5 and the number two cause in children under 18), it is so tragic that I find it difficult to even think about.
Warning: child death mentioned.
Three year old Joanie Logan drowned on one of my favorite days of the year: opening day for outdoor pools. In the 95 degree heat on Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, Joanie wandered away from her parents chatting with friends and slipped into the 3-4 foot depth pool at St. Alban's Swim Club in Newtown Square. She drowned as kids swam around her, adults sat right nearby, and a lifeguard watched the pool. Just an unspeakable tragedy. I have a similarly curious and brave three year old who will jump into any body of water she sees. I can't begin to fathom the loss and pain her parents are enduring.
I was also a lifeguard for 15 years. When I was 18 years old, I witnessed a near-drowning of a toddler at the un-guarded baby pool during a pool party while I was tasked with watching the big pool. She ended up surviving, but the scene, the panic, and the "almost" was awful. As a result, I have always been hyper-aware of toddlers at crowded pools and social events. But while I knew that drowning was a huge risk for young children, I did not know that 1 in 5 or more of all drowning deaths occur in pools supervised by a lifeguard (Drowning Prevention Association). Many sources listed the incidence as even higher.
Drowning is almost always quick and virtually silent. Preschoolers are the most likely age group to drown, and they succumb very quickly to submersion. The doctor in the E.R. last Memorial Day weekend was overheard saying that a child Joanie's size can drown in '18 seconds.' A young child can become unconscious and sink in the water very quickly. Here's a very informative article on what drowning actually looks like (hint: not at ALL how it's portrayed on TV/movies). Please check it out. I promise you'll learn something new:
"The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind".
http://mariovittone.com/2010/05/154/
For more on the story, here's a video from Larry Mendte, local newscaster and Joanie Logan's uncle:
1 comment:
This is so very sad, but so important to get the word out. Thank you.
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