WARNING: This entry of my blog comes with a WARNING that it could be distressing to some readers. Please be cautious of its content about Child drowning.
If Australia is to get serious about drowning prevention as opposed to water safety we need to get back to the basics.
Supervision and barriers together will save lives.
Over the past five years having become a Water Safety Advocate not by choice, but by fate, through losing my own child through drowning the research I have been able to undertake in Coroner's Court, Public Awareness Campaigns, speaking to parents and general research has really raised my own opinion on how drownings happen.
Scenario:
A young toddler aged two fully clothed, shoes and socks enters a backyard through an open door which an older sibling has just come home through, through the laundry at his house, mum is currently in the kitchen making a sandwich, the toddler is exploring his surroundings. The toddler comes across something in the backyard. The toddler is approximately 60 cm away from a broken pool fence panel. The mother is unaware that the pool fence is broken. The toddler since the age of six months of age has been attending water familiarisation programs at his local swim school with mum once a week. Every Friday, religiously mum packs up the family car, the swim bag and heads off the fun and play in key games in the pool. Mum believes she is teaching her toddler about water safety. Only last week this toddler sitting in his swim nappy, and his goggles and swim cap was sitting on the side of the Pool. Upon a cued song with others around them this toddler then jumped into the water. Kicking and propelling himself into mum’s arms then with mum's instruction and again on cue from the instructor he then propels himself back to the side of the pool and then smiles and claps at his achievement. This is where last week's lesson will go horribly wrong.
The toddler is now at the pool fence with a gap of more than 10 cm he is able to fit through the bottom corner. It's only been 15 seconds since the toddler was out of mum sight. The next 20 will leave this family shattered forever.
As the toddler adventures through the cleared landscaping now heading for the water the lessons of last week will not kick in. The toddler is wearing a jacket, a T-shirt, a singlet, and nappy, a pair of corduroy jeans, shoes and socks. The toddler is now on his knees looking at the water. Most if not all toddlers at this stage will explore their environment this is what toddlers do best. The toddler sees a leaf in the water and his ball across in the middle of the pool. The toddler has now reached out with his hands. The next 20 seconds are the most crucial. There is silence still, no splashing, no screaming, nothing, not a sound. He is now fighting for life but in sheer silence.
Mum is now calling bub's name she can't hear him and she can't see him. there is 360 degrees from where mum is standing, which degree does she travel?
Thinking the pool is fenced there is no danger. Mum then ventures around the side of the house, the toddler is nowhere to be seen. Mum walks past(still not in panic) the edge of the pool and notices something in the water that is unusual as she walks close eye she notices it's actually her child. As she runs in a panic to the pool gate she realises the key is on the fridge in the kitchen she is unable to climb the gate not knowing how her child at this stage had entered the pool area mum is screaming and neighbours come running. One neighbour jumps the back fence into the pool area and grabs her son out of the pool. In a clear panic the neighbours start CPR by this time 3 min as already passed. Mum is now constantly screaming in a panic she is unable to move she is frozen with emotion and shock. Bystanders from neighbours assist the mother and trial and called 000.
This scenario is all too often happening in backyard swimming pools, Lakes, creeks and dams yet we are told that swimming lessons save lives. So what went wrong?
I’d like to give you my opinion and this has never changed in five years, I’ve written often on this very issue.
There are many factors that contribute to a drowning and they are never in isolation from each other.
1. supervision breakdown,
2. barrier breakdown,
3. breakdown in swimming skills or the ability to self rescue and survive, and
4. that CPR was unsuccessful. (And please when I say unsuccessful that does not mean failure. The fact that CPR was actioned, The fact that CPR was continuous is what you are meant to do. The fact that 000 was called and instructions were obtained. The fact is that CPR was administered by the local hospital as well as intubation and medications in a desperate attempt to save this young boy's life all were unsuccessful. No one failed CPR. CPR is the last line of defence in saving lives. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. More often than not in a drowning it will not.)
So what could have prevented this from happening?
We know that this young toddler had the skills to propel himself in the water, we know that he could turn around and reach the side of the pool, we know that he could hold his breath under water and turn around and again could reached the side of the pool and we also know that he could jump into the water willingly without fear. We also know that he was cued with instructions to do these very tasks. His lessons were fun, they were controlled, they were in a warm heated environment, yet when he drowned he was not cued, he had no one to tell him what to do, he could not he could not remember the action, and the water temperature was not heated. How tragic that his skills that he had only learnt last week had not been able to assist him. His mother wants to know why?
The pool barrier had not been maintained. Both parents work full time, rent the house, have three children, are regularly in the backyard, and were unaware that the bottom end of the back gate along the boundary fence had not been maintained. Again, the pool fence had not been checked the sometime either by them, their landlord, the agent or their council. How tragic that this could happen. Laws exist to ensure Pools comply for safety.
Supervision we all know is needed for young children. Homes, roads, shopping centres, parks, animal nurseries, anywhere where a young child resides, plays, or visits is a dangerous place. There are stories about dangerous laundries, bathrooms, lounge rooms, TVs, display cabinets, driveways the list goes on that can potentially be dangerous to children. Supervision is crucial in preventing accidents and injuries and also is the main first line of defence when preventing accidents and injury.
Many in the community would read the above story and would have instantly blamed the mother. I disagree, but then I am this mum too. The solid backup (second set of eyes) that mum needed on that day was a sound maintained and compliant pool fence could have prevented tragedy. It too failed. Its a proven, testified fact that over 85% of pool fences in Australia DO NOT COMPLY with safety standards. How bloody tragic!
Sadly I see this all the time too often in fact, it breaks my heart over again. Today, again we have those in the swimming industry saying learn to swim it'll save your life yet reading the above it tells a different story. It’s all we see in coroners court is the story above and never once have I witnessed nor undertaken the line of questioning of “why didn’t the skills kick in”.
If only the pool fence had been fixed, if it had of been known that it was broken the parents would have fixed it, if regular checks were in place, if the laws were in place to mandate that rental properties had compulsory pool fencing may be this tragedy could have been prevented.
The above scenario is WHY we have pool fencing laws and this is why there should be a mandatory inspection regime with professionals to check your pool fence. I urge every parent of a toddler with a pool to organise now a Pool Safety with a license professional who can certify your pool fence and issue you a pool safety certificate, anything less is not good enough.
I see too many of these scenarios in evidence briefs for a coronial inquest, please don’t let this happen to you. If you read this and ignore it you too could be living this mother’s life. A life of self- blame, public condemnation and suffering. PREVENTION and SUPERVISION and a COMPLIANT barrier are the only two steps to save a young child's life in any circumstance.
Rental properties, nationally equate to over 76% of all backyard pool drownings. This statistic is researched by Hannah's Foundation and was first calculated in 2009 after a cluster of drownings. I urge anyone who is a landlord, tenant or agent to read this and act immediately. Do an audit on your pools and check that they are compliant and maintained always.
Kat Plint
26th October 2012
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Showing posts with label funding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label funding. Show all posts
Friday, October 26, 2012
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Education is the crucial key, Where's the Funding?
25th October 2011
Education is the crucial key, where’s the funding?
On my recent driving travels I see “Power Nap area ahead 3km”, “rest, revive survive” and “Speed kills” all along a major highway in regional Victoria. Not one billboard, sign or placard in sight had one message of water safety. Why is that??
Water safety? What is it? I think there is no such thing there is just drowning and injury prevention but it is all called Water Safety. Many just don’t like to talk about it, many are in denial or think they are invincible.
After four days travelling the surrounds of Southern Western Sydney, City and Melbourne to various community groups and the lovely region of Latrobe City Council I encountered many sad and happy truths about water safety.
Unfortunately, I speak about the sad truths because the Happy truths are saving lives. It is comforting to see many swim schools and communities focusing on the back floating and teaching kids the dangers of water.
I am honoured to present Hannah’s story to a group of mothers and their children who are eagerly listening to my talk on water safety. The kids are loving the story about “Josh the Baby Otter”. They dance to his song about learning to float and keeping safe with an adult. The kids look like they get it. Yet in the older group of adults is the real sadness.
Many of them are reduced to silent tears for our Hannah’s story and the kids after her. The videos play and you can visualise the emotion in the room. You can hear the sniffles in the background. I make no eye contact for I’m struggling now too. I ask a simple question. Who here baths their children and goes to the toilet or leaves to get towels or clothes? Many, if not all the hands go up. I am shocked but not surprised by the result of the physical survey. It is rare that we get admissions such as this, but it’s one that we need to combat and now. Bath drownings are increasing and its simple to prevent. DON’T leave a child in water if you or someone else don't have your eyes on them. I am not talking about those tragic stories where carers/victims have had medical conditions and those conditions have contributed to deaths. I am specifically talking about those supervisors who leave and then are not supervising.... get the drift?
Now, I am not backward in coming forward. I am also not here as an advocate and educator to make friends. Some agree with me, some don’t. I do what I do because I am passionate, I have a purpose to honour my daughter Hannah.
I am not shocked by the admissions of these mothers but what does make me angry at them is that some people just don't get it. You just don’t leave a child in a bath and walk away. Not even for a second. With no backup plan in place as a barrier, another supervisor would be great because there is no substitute for supervision, especially not a bath ring or the child’s ability in the bath water. The range of excuses to justify their actions, to themselves were coming thick and fast. I had an alternative comment for every one of them. Trust me. Then one mum said “Oh but she can hold her breath at swim lessons we practice all the time in the bath, I would hope drowning never happens to us its why she goes to swimming lessons”.
That’s right a lot of people do rely on hope. Hope they won’t be next and hope that it won’t happen to them. To really bring the message I risk it and play the first three minutes of my 000 call. For anyone who has ever heard the full version the screams through the speakers ring in your ears for days if not weeks. I think the message is getting through now. The mothers are now bawling and I make no apology for it.
To educate is the key, the 10 second risk I call it. It only takes a split second for a child to slip and then another 10 to lose consciousness and then you walk back in, maybe a few more seconds later or even minutes, and then by now you are so frantically attempting to save them. By this time it’s nearly a minute or more has passed and the brain is slowly dying. The sad reality is that 93% of the time CPR FAILS! So why bloody risk it? Always Supervise your child around water and NEVER leave a child alone in water and walk away. Always Supervise them, nothing in life is too important that you have to take that risk.
Another sad reality is blow up pools, the cheapies from $2 shops or the Blue ones with dodgy filtration systems that hold over 2000 litres of water. In the same group of mothers 8 admitted to owning and erecting these pools illegally. Their landlord wouldn’t have a clue, their real estate is none the wiser because the pool doesn’t exist come inspection time and the council obviously doesn’t have a register of it either. SO how can you make an illegal pool compliant?? I reckon these bloody pools should be banned from being sold in the first place. No permit for construction or fencing, no purchase. Simple in theory but damn hard to police.
The education quickly turns to swimming lessons. Sigh. Hannah could swim, your kids can ‘swim’ I say. Then the penny drops. I ask how many of their pools are heated to the degrees that their children learn to swim in? NO hands go up. So here we have eight families, illegal pools, non heated pools and all of it equaling a bloody horrible disaster.
Cold water kills kids and adults too. It’s as simple as that. I remember jumping in fully clothed in my shorts and tank top that fateful day and pulling our naked daughter from our freezing cold pool. Only days before her and her father had both gone blue from having the time of their lives in our unheated pool. Two days later Hannah died from a massive heart attack which I now contribute to the temperature of the water. The massive shock to my breathing, my muscles contracting and my attempts at getting Hannah out of the pool all come flooding back in flashbacks. I excuse myself to get a drink of water. Thinking... why is this happening? Don’t they get it?
The conversation continues that Hannah’s story could be theirs, it’s really only a matter of time. Time that I really don’t want to have to face ever again but do because people are not educated.
The whole system of blow up pools makes me wild. I’ve written numerous letters and reports to the Offices of Fair Trading and Consumer Affairs Minister on this very issue and not a lot is being done. You can import pools yourself online. We just can’t stop it. Education is the key and that too is a struggle and most of the battle.
Where are the water safety messages? The budget for advertising isn’t huge but we need it. Who else will promote the dangers in the fullest truth without gaining something in return? Who will help promote messages without being paid? The list goes on, on what to do, how to educate and do it all on a budget that could, well doesn’t exist really. Donations should be directed to families for support and medical equipment services, not signs on billboards that costs thousands. It’s a tormenting decision that our board has to make.
We need to, as a community, together, help promote the educational messages of water safety. It isn’t just one person spreading their own message, it’s not just one organisation, there are many. However, the messages are silent, silent as the killer drowning itself. We just can’t hear them. We need to hear them. For the sake of little kids. For when a little kids dies the voices are the loudest and persecute the parent, wouldn’t it better to prevent it in the first place?
There are many childhood dangers that are advocated, supported and emotionally promoted. Why is our cause not given the same opportunity of understanding, compassion or empathy? Is it because it’s our fault? Our cause is just as important, as we raise awareness to child drownings and save lives. Save lives is what we hope to achieve. Why are we less important? Well it certainly feels that way.
I support child safety in its entirety but the financial system of Government funding needs to be a whole fairer. Don’t you agree? I can see more time away from my family, being consumed by my passion doing lectures such as these to save lives. All because we aren’t funded. We aren’t supported until sadly it’s too late and then I’m attending another funeral. Seeing another child in a coffin is just another facet of the duties we do here and helping another parent write their child's eulogy.
Would you swap your paid job for mine? I’d love a normal job with real pay. Ive never been paid for my work for Hannah and never will. I have also never been paid for media despite others in the community spreading vicious rumours! Id like to put the record straight on that point because such nastiness hurts our advocacy and disrespects our members and our daughter Hannah. The Foundation has NEVER EVER sold Hannah's Story and will NEVER do so!! Record put straight.
Prevention sounds a whole lot more sensible. Education is the key because there is no cure for drowning only prevention in the first place.
Kat Plint
25th October 2011
Education is the crucial key, where’s the funding?
On my recent driving travels I see “Power Nap area ahead 3km”, “rest, revive survive” and “Speed kills” all along a major highway in regional Victoria. Not one billboard, sign or placard in sight had one message of water safety. Why is that??
Water safety? What is it? I think there is no such thing there is just drowning and injury prevention but it is all called Water Safety. Many just don’t like to talk about it, many are in denial or think they are invincible.
After four days travelling the surrounds of Southern Western Sydney, City and Melbourne to various community groups and the lovely region of Latrobe City Council I encountered many sad and happy truths about water safety.
Unfortunately, I speak about the sad truths because the Happy truths are saving lives. It is comforting to see many swim schools and communities focusing on the back floating and teaching kids the dangers of water.
I am honoured to present Hannah’s story to a group of mothers and their children who are eagerly listening to my talk on water safety. The kids are loving the story about “Josh the Baby Otter”. They dance to his song about learning to float and keeping safe with an adult. The kids look like they get it. Yet in the older group of adults is the real sadness.
Many of them are reduced to silent tears for our Hannah’s story and the kids after her. The videos play and you can visualise the emotion in the room. You can hear the sniffles in the background. I make no eye contact for I’m struggling now too. I ask a simple question. Who here baths their children and goes to the toilet or leaves to get towels or clothes? Many, if not all the hands go up. I am shocked but not surprised by the result of the physical survey. It is rare that we get admissions such as this, but it’s one that we need to combat and now. Bath drownings are increasing and its simple to prevent. DON’T leave a child in water if you or someone else don't have your eyes on them. I am not talking about those tragic stories where carers/victims have had medical conditions and those conditions have contributed to deaths. I am specifically talking about those supervisors who leave and then are not supervising.... get the drift?
Now, I am not backward in coming forward. I am also not here as an advocate and educator to make friends. Some agree with me, some don’t. I do what I do because I am passionate, I have a purpose to honour my daughter Hannah.
I am not shocked by the admissions of these mothers but what does make me angry at them is that some people just don't get it. You just don’t leave a child in a bath and walk away. Not even for a second. With no backup plan in place as a barrier, another supervisor would be great because there is no substitute for supervision, especially not a bath ring or the child’s ability in the bath water. The range of excuses to justify their actions, to themselves were coming thick and fast. I had an alternative comment for every one of them. Trust me. Then one mum said “Oh but she can hold her breath at swim lessons we practice all the time in the bath, I would hope drowning never happens to us its why she goes to swimming lessons”.
That’s right a lot of people do rely on hope. Hope they won’t be next and hope that it won’t happen to them. To really bring the message I risk it and play the first three minutes of my 000 call. For anyone who has ever heard the full version the screams through the speakers ring in your ears for days if not weeks. I think the message is getting through now. The mothers are now bawling and I make no apology for it.
To educate is the key, the 10 second risk I call it. It only takes a split second for a child to slip and then another 10 to lose consciousness and then you walk back in, maybe a few more seconds later or even minutes, and then by now you are so frantically attempting to save them. By this time it’s nearly a minute or more has passed and the brain is slowly dying. The sad reality is that 93% of the time CPR FAILS! So why bloody risk it? Always Supervise your child around water and NEVER leave a child alone in water and walk away. Always Supervise them, nothing in life is too important that you have to take that risk.
Another sad reality is blow up pools, the cheapies from $2 shops or the Blue ones with dodgy filtration systems that hold over 2000 litres of water. In the same group of mothers 8 admitted to owning and erecting these pools illegally. Their landlord wouldn’t have a clue, their real estate is none the wiser because the pool doesn’t exist come inspection time and the council obviously doesn’t have a register of it either. SO how can you make an illegal pool compliant?? I reckon these bloody pools should be banned from being sold in the first place. No permit for construction or fencing, no purchase. Simple in theory but damn hard to police.
The education quickly turns to swimming lessons. Sigh. Hannah could swim, your kids can ‘swim’ I say. Then the penny drops. I ask how many of their pools are heated to the degrees that their children learn to swim in? NO hands go up. So here we have eight families, illegal pools, non heated pools and all of it equaling a bloody horrible disaster.
Cold water kills kids and adults too. It’s as simple as that. I remember jumping in fully clothed in my shorts and tank top that fateful day and pulling our naked daughter from our freezing cold pool. Only days before her and her father had both gone blue from having the time of their lives in our unheated pool. Two days later Hannah died from a massive heart attack which I now contribute to the temperature of the water. The massive shock to my breathing, my muscles contracting and my attempts at getting Hannah out of the pool all come flooding back in flashbacks. I excuse myself to get a drink of water. Thinking... why is this happening? Don’t they get it?
The conversation continues that Hannah’s story could be theirs, it’s really only a matter of time. Time that I really don’t want to have to face ever again but do because people are not educated.
The whole system of blow up pools makes me wild. I’ve written numerous letters and reports to the Offices of Fair Trading and Consumer Affairs Minister on this very issue and not a lot is being done. You can import pools yourself online. We just can’t stop it. Education is the key and that too is a struggle and most of the battle.
Where are the water safety messages? The budget for advertising isn’t huge but we need it. Who else will promote the dangers in the fullest truth without gaining something in return? Who will help promote messages without being paid? The list goes on, on what to do, how to educate and do it all on a budget that could, well doesn’t exist really. Donations should be directed to families for support and medical equipment services, not signs on billboards that costs thousands. It’s a tormenting decision that our board has to make.
We need to, as a community, together, help promote the educational messages of water safety. It isn’t just one person spreading their own message, it’s not just one organisation, there are many. However, the messages are silent, silent as the killer drowning itself. We just can’t hear them. We need to hear them. For the sake of little kids. For when a little kids dies the voices are the loudest and persecute the parent, wouldn’t it better to prevent it in the first place?
There are many childhood dangers that are advocated, supported and emotionally promoted. Why is our cause not given the same opportunity of understanding, compassion or empathy? Is it because it’s our fault? Our cause is just as important, as we raise awareness to child drownings and save lives. Save lives is what we hope to achieve. Why are we less important? Well it certainly feels that way.
I support child safety in its entirety but the financial system of Government funding needs to be a whole fairer. Don’t you agree? I can see more time away from my family, being consumed by my passion doing lectures such as these to save lives. All because we aren’t funded. We aren’t supported until sadly it’s too late and then I’m attending another funeral. Seeing another child in a coffin is just another facet of the duties we do here and helping another parent write their child's eulogy.
Would you swap your paid job for mine? I’d love a normal job with real pay. Ive never been paid for my work for Hannah and never will. I have also never been paid for media despite others in the community spreading vicious rumours! Id like to put the record straight on that point because such nastiness hurts our advocacy and disrespects our members and our daughter Hannah. The Foundation has NEVER EVER sold Hannah's Story and will NEVER do so!! Record put straight.
Prevention sounds a whole lot more sensible. Education is the key because there is no cure for drowning only prevention in the first place.
Kat Plint
25th October 2011
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