Pools in New Jersey can be dangerous for even advanced swimmers

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No one wants to hear that "drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children between the ages of 1 and 4," but it is something that individuals need to be aware of. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman Inez Tenenbaum relayed that terrifying piece of information when discussing a recent report released by the agency. When parents hear this statistic, the image of a dirty pond, large ocean or other inherently dangerous body of water might come to mind. But did you know that the largest percentage of child drownings actually occur in the crystal clear waters of backyard swimming pools? The report released showed that out of all pool and spa submersion deaths, 75 percent of them involve children under the age of five. One way to protect children is to ensure that they have proper swimming instruction. "Learning how to swim saves lives." It is a simple concept as relayed by the chief public affairs officer with the American Red Cross. While teaching kids to swim is certainly going to help raise their level of safety around water, but in some cases all the training in the world won't help. A slippery pool surface can be extremely dangerous to even an advanced little swimmer. A slip-and-fall near a pool could incapacitate a child long enough to eliminate their ability to help themselves. Homeowners who fail to adequately maintain the premises in and around their swimming pool that contributes to a swimming pool accident can be held liable for the injuries or death of a child. Source: Clarksville online, "U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission data shows most Child Drownings occur in Backyard Pools," June 10, 2013