Child drownings, an inconvenient truth:
Between 1994 and 2003, NZ statistics advise 0 to 4 year old child deaths by drowning were 111
- An average of 11 deaths a year but during the same period there were 373 child hospitalisations as a result of submersion injury, many resulting in brain damage
- 75% of these incidents were contributed to by the lack of adequate parental supervision of young children in and around all water hazards including the home pool
A simple definitions of child supervision:
- Children 0 to 5 years = Parents must be in the water within arms length of their child
- Children 6 to 10 years = Parents must be at the waters edge within eye contact of the child
- Children 11 to 15 years = Parents must provide supervision of their own children
Special note:
- A pool owner must ensure at least one designated lifeguard is appointed to supervise pool usage whenever their pool is in use...
- Remember, "Your child, your responsibility" and for pool owners its always, "Your Pool Your Responsibility"
Swish Pool Safety Supervision brochure
- Swish initiatives since 2008 have had the objective to get the lack of parental supervision recognised as the prime contributor to child drownings and the first line of prevention
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