Onset of spring marred by children drowning

A two-year-old girl was rushed to Mediclinic Newcastle on Sunday morning, after a near drowning incident at her new home.

It is believed the family were busy moving into their new home in Arbor Park, when their child accidentally fell in the pool.

Margery Meijerink of ER24 Newcastle described the events that took place after she arrived on scene.

“We found the young girl inside her home, struggling to breathe. We ventilated her and gave her 100 per cent oxygen as a precaution,” she said.

According to reports, the parents of the young girl administered CPR and managed to revive their daughter. It is believed she was discharged from hospital on Wednesday.

Tragically, another child, who would have been three years old on Tuesday, also drowned in Ladysmith. Details surrounding the incident are unclear. However, Mrs Meijerink told a harrowing tale of how she was asked to help. “We had just dropped off a patient at La Verna Hospital when this drowning case came in,” she said. “They asked me to help, and I obliged.”

In a sad twist of fate, Mrs Meijerink and other medical professionals struggled for over an hour, but could not revive the child. According to ER24, a third child also drowned last weekend. However, the details surrounding this incident are unclear.

Jan-Henk van Vuuren, spokesperson for ER24 Newcastle issued a statement on how to prevent drowning incidents.

“It’s summer time again and with all the joy comes tragedy, as experienced by ER24 paramedics over the past weekend,” he said. “Sadly two children lost their lives and another is recovering in Mediclinic Newcastle. They were all victims of an accidental drowning that could have been prevented.”

Here are some basic steps you as a parent can take to prevent the loss of a child this summer.

– Use non-slip materials on the pool deck, diving board and ladders.

– Mark water depths conspicuously. Use a safety float line where the bottom slope deepens.

– Teach children to float or swim as soon as possible.

– Always provide competent adult supervision when the pool is in use.

– No one should ever swim alone.

– Caution children against showing off and playing rough and explain the dangers of running and diving recklessly.

– Never push others into the pool.

– When using water slides, always go feet first.

– Before diving or sliding, check to be sure other swimmers are out of the way.

– Keep rescue devices and first aid supplies near the pool.

– Teach children what to do in case of emergency. An alarm bell that could summon help would be a good idea.