In a season already hit hard with tragedies, officials have reported another near drowning involving a child in a Phoenix pool. The pool at issue is located near 60th Street and Bell Road and was being used by four young children at the time. Officials have indicated that the adults at the home lost track of one of the children, a 7-year-old boy, who was described as not a strong swimmer. By the time anyone noticed, the child was at the bottom of the pool and unresponsive.
The children in the pool ranged between ages five and 11 and had reportedly been swimming for hours in the morning. They all took a break for lunch and then entered the pool again. Though the victim in this near drowning may have been wearing a type of floatation device described as “water wings” that morning, he was not wearing them when he was found at the bottom of the pool.
The boy was pulled from the water and emergency crews transported him to an area hospital where he remains in critical condition. The boy did not live at the home with the pool but was visiting it with one of his parents present, according to the fire department.
Valley children have been involved in large number of pool-related accidents this year. Swimming is always a popular activity but when the weather stays above 100 degrees for days at a time, some families take to the pool even more often. Drownings and near drownings are unnecessary accidents that can be completely prevented with the right safety aids, pool fencing, and adult supervision.
Children of any age should always be supervised when in or near water. Though many people think of drownings as happening to infants and toddlers, as this case illustrates, any child can become a victim in mere moments if the proper supervision is not present. Additionally, any child who is not a strong swimmer should be provided with floatation devices that are designed to preserve life, like a life jacket or life preserver. Leaving an inexperienced swimmer in the water for even a moment unsupervised can be the difference between life and death.
When a child is a victim of a swimming pool accident, the child and his family may have a legal right to bring a claim for money damages against the owner of the pool, operator of a pool, landowner, pool designer, or anyone who performed maintenance on the pool, depending on the facts of the accident. These money damages can enable a child to seek and receive the medical care needed to recover from an injury or can provide the family of a child with compensation in the event of the child’s death.
At Abels & Annes, P.C., we have decades of experience representing the rights of injured children and their families. We are dedicated Phoenix swimming pool injury lawyers who work with each of our clients to get the recovery the client deserves. If your child has been injured or killed while swimming in a public or private pool, call us today at (602) 819-5191 and let us provide you with a free telephone consultation regarding your legal rights.
Prior Blog Entries:
Guilty Plea from Man Who Killed Doctor on Bicycle, Fled Scene, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published July 16, 2013.
Prescott Extreme DUI Driver Hits 4 Construction Vehicles, Injures 2, Phoenix Injury Lawyer Blog, published July 14, 2013.
Resources:
7-year-old boy nearly drowns in Phoenix pool, Fox 10 News, published July 16, 2013.