Some of the unknown dangers lurking around your home
RANDBURG – The pool net should be securely fastened to ensure that if a child did fall on the net, its tension is tight, keeping the child out of the water and not submerged due to the lack of tension. Accidents can happen within seconds, never ever leave children in any body of water unattended
If there is one thing that we know for sure, it’s that children seem to be somewhat uncontrollably attracted to water – however big or small the body of water, children are going to be sure to want to play in it.
Whether its jumping in puddles or splashing around in the dog’s water bowl, the fun that water offers is simply irresistible to most little ones.
“When they see water, excitement takes over and bravery sets in,” said Vorn Jones, owner of Vorn’s Lifeguards swimming school.
What some parents may not realise though, is that it does not take a lot of water for a child, or adult, to drown in, and sometimes the bodies of water that are most dangerous are not the ones we necessarily think of when we think about drowning.
“It literally can take a few seconds to fall in, 20 seconds for a child to lose the fight for self-survival and for drowning to begin. After four minutes of being under the water, the damage is dire and irreversible. And in case you thought us adults were immune to this, think again. It takes 60 seconds for us adults to give up the fight before the drowning process begins,” warned Jones.
Some dangerous situations to be aware of, according to Jones, include:
- Be aware of how full your pet’s water bowl is, and whether this poses a risk to a toddler or crawling baby
- Buckets or drains outside that fill up with rainwater can also be a hazard. Anything that gathers water should be turned upside down to prevent them from becoming life-threatening hazards.
Jones further warned about appropriate measures to take to protect swimming pools and ponds.
“Ponds and swimming pools should have a net, and/or a fence to stop people from getting in. The gate should be locked with a key and the key kept in a safe place out of reach. The pool net should be securely fastened to ensure that if a child did fall on the net, its tension is tight, keeping the child out of the water and not submerged due to the lack of tension. Accidents can happen within seconds, never ever leave children in any body of water unattended,” warned Jones.
Details: If you are interested in swimming lessons for either you or your children, contact Vorn Jones on 061 059 5590.
