Pool Danger

By: Ethan Armstrong

The Dangers of The Ordinary Pool

     Summers in many places are scorching. Like, boil-an-egg-on-the-sidewalk kind of scorching. And what is one of the best ways to cool down? Swimming pools! 

     You and your kids head down to the local pool and, as soon as they are sunscreened, your son or daughter excitedly grabs their toys and jumps right in. Now, what’s wrong with this picture? Nothing- as long as your child has the CORRECT toys.

     There are plenty of water activities that pose no risk to anyone whatsoever, and they are even fun! However, there are a few that are hazards to little lives, and lives in general. 

     The first one I will cover is “mermaid tails”. While these may seem like a harmless thing, they restrict the leg movement of children as they swim. Even if they just wear them outside the pool, what happens when the child trips and falls into the water? These tails aren’t exactly the best tools to tread water with! They reduce swimming ability of even good swimmers by 67%. Therefore, it is best not to utilize these devices at all around water. 

       Another common device is scuba goggles. Now, you may be thinking, “how can something that helps you breathe underwater be a risk… to breathing underwater? Well, one risk is again the false sense of security they can give the kids. They are not impenetrable, and kids like to fiddle around with things, especially things put on their face. This could fill the goggles with water when they are least expecting it and because these don’t just cover the eyes, but the nose too, children can startle when water gets in and breathe it in, starting the drowning process. In addition, depending on the goggle type, CO2 can start building up in there. That is very risky and not worth chancing!

       The final pool item I am going to touch on in this article is actually not a toy. It is a necessity in all pools. I’m talking about the everyday  pool drain. While these have a definite purpose in the pool, they are also hazards, especially to girls or boys with long hair. Long hair can get caught in the drain, and that can swiftly lead to drowning, since you cannot reach air with hair stuck in one of these. 

       Teach your children to stay away from these and make sure they wear their hair up while swimming.  Stay away, even if you do not have long hair, because loose objects and clothes also have a chance of getting caught in drains. They may seem like no big deal, but you don’t want to find out how dangerous they really are right before you lose a loved one to them. 

        In conclusion, make sure you scrutinize every object your child plays with or even treads near in the water. This may mean that you must keep vigilance more than usual, but it is worth it. It means you save your child’s life. And that’s not a bad trade.

Ethan Armstrong

Ethan Armstrong is Judah’s brother and is a fierce advocate for water safety. He is a Junior in High School with aspirations to join the medical field.