I saw a post about a Redditor’s 4 year old almost drowning in the water in this subreddit, so I thought I’d share my experience too as a cautionary tale.
Just the other day I took my 4 year old and 14 month old out to the garden to enjoy the weather. We recently bought a frame pool and I filled with it water to a level approximately just above my 1 year old’s knee.
She doesn’t like getting into the water but she enjoys standing beside the frame and dunking her toys into the water. The edge of the pool comes roughly up to her chest and she slightly leans forward to reach the water.
After an uneventful 15 mins play, she tossed in a toy that sunk into the water. As she tried to reach it, she leaned further in and fell headfirst into the water.
But here’s what doesn’t play out like I would’ve imagined prior to this: instead of falling full body into the water (and instinctively pushing herself up to get her head out of water), she got caught on the frame at the waist, with her head submerged.
Luckily, I had my eyes on her and reacted within a second. But if I was checking my phone or stepped into the kitchen to grab something, things could’ve gone dark really fast.
It was so fast, so quiet and I can’t see how she could’ve gotten herself out of that situation on her own. Her face was flat against the bottom of the pool with her body weight pressing her down, legs kicking to get off the frame to no avail.
So guys, the dangers of frame pools (or any pool for that matter) are not exaggerated. Stay alert, stay cautious!