Drowning can happen so fast. I knew that before my daughter’s near-drowning but until I experienced it first hand I had no clue exactly how fast things can change. Your life can change in an instant. Every mom should know these drowning prevention tips.
These are the lessons I wish I had learned BEFORE our experience at the pool that day. Before you take your child to the pool this summer, please, please read this.
My heart still stops when I remember the moment. I’d looked up to find my toddler missing at my oldest son’s birthday pool party. When I walked around the row of tall bushes and the hot tub came into view, I saw her face down at the bottom of the hot tub.
That remains the single most terrifying moment of my life.
Drowning is the second leading cause of death in children under 14. Kids drown quickly and silently. Once my daughter slipped under the water she couldn’t yell for help. A few more minutes and we would never have been able to resuscitate her.
Fortunately, our story has a happy ending. Today my daughter is a happy, healthy 3 year old, who still has no fear of anything (and THAT causes me as a mom more than enough fear for both of us). You can read the full story of that scary day here.
We learned some important lessons on drowning prevention from my daughter’s near-drowning. We learned these lessons the hard way. My hope is that by reading this, you won’t have to. Go to the next page to see our recommendations.
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How terrifying! These are awesome tips to remember as summer gets into full swing. My daughter can swim but we’ll still be employing many of these tips as we hang out around the pool.
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Such an important story to share and help us all keep alert near the water. I can’t begin to imagine those feelings of terror. So glad she is okay and something made you aware just at that moment.
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Thank you for sharing your story and the lessons learned! I cried reading the original post. How scary! Thank goodness those mommy instincts went off and you found your baby girl when you did. I’m so glad she’s doing well and your terrifying experience has a happy ending!
How scary, just so glad she was ok!
Sam´s last blog post ..Maintaining Your Lay-Z-Spa Hot Tub
Thanks! We are too. I still think about that moment I found her every single day, even now almost a year later. It’s changed us in so many ways.
Wow, happy that it ended well. Great tips, this article should be a must-read for every parent. Reading it from somebody who experienced it is what gives it a real power, not just some random anti drowning tips.
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Hi Rachel.
Wow, feel like my heart either just stopped or missed a beat.
Being a mother of three, this type of event is a massive wake up call to me.
I’m not going to read the full blog post, i just couldn’t, but i wish you all the best with it.
All the best from mom to mom. x
Michelle
Thank you. It’s so hard to read. I think just realizing how quickly an accident can happen and making sure we don’t assume it can’t happen to us can go a long way towards keeping our kids safe.
I’m so glad to hear she was one of the lucky ones. We hear so many horror stories of kids drowning yes with alot of people around. I can’t stress enough sending kids to swimming lessons at an early age. The sooner the better. I know it can get pricey but your kids are irreplaceable. I think its important to have a couple of great swimmers in the each side of the pool watching. Little ones are hard to keep track of because they are so little I know. Perhaps have a designated person just to keep an eye on the little ones. Summer is coming get ready for those pool parties. Have a great week everyone.
I really wish it was that simple. My kids have all had swimming lessons from an early age. My daughter is now almost 5 and has gone through almost a dozen sessions of swimming lessons. She still can’t swim. Some kids just learn faster than others so to say that early swimming lessons is the answer to this problem is short sighted. We did have people watching all around the pool. There were multiple adults who were all very vigilant. Things like this happen so quickly.
Hi Rachel,
I’m glad she is ok. This is something every parent should be aware before attending any Pool party I’m sure your story could save someone life. If you keep a title like – Thing to Do Before attending Pool Party etc If you keep something of this sort article title then users who are going to party could come across your article and take care their kids.
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It’s really a terrifying story for anyone.and thanks god that she is ok.im going to read full story.thank you for sharing with us
First of all, I am so glad that your daughter is alive and well. Unfortunately, so many parents have lost their children to drowning and like you say it mostly occurs in pool party settings. Rotating water watchers is a great tip. It’s also important that water watchers know how to spot someone drowning. This ABC news story shows how easy it is to miss it: https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Family/protecting-kids-pool-parties-summer/story?id=56316315 Thank you for sharing your story. I’m sure it’s had an impact and hopefully has saved a few lives.