NEW CASTLE COUNTY, DELAWARE (7/5/2018) A 4-year-old and a 15-year-old were in critical condition after swimming pool incidents Wednesday, the New Castle County police said.
About 5:50 p.m., a 15-year-old boy was rescued by a lifeguard in the first block of Christiana Road, near New Castle.
The lifeguard was performing CPR when county police and paramedics arrived. The teen was taken by ambulance to a hospital.
About 7:30 p.m., a missing 4-year-old was found by police in a family swimming pool in the first block of Franklin Ave., in the Claymont Terrace community.
The child was taken by ambulance to a hospital.
Police offered these tips for swimming safety:
- Never leave a child unattended near water in a pool, tub, bucket or ocean. There is no substitute for adult supervision.
- Designate a “Water Watcher” to maintain constant watch over children in the pool during gatherings.
- The home should be isolated from the pool with a fence at least 60” tall, with a self-closing, self-latching gate. The gate should open away from the pool, and should never be propped open.
- Doors and windows should be alarmed to alert adults when opened. Doors should be self-closing and self-latching.
- Keep a phone at poolside so that you never have to leave the pool to answer the phone, and can call for help if needed.
- Learn CPR and rescue breathing.
- Keep a life-saving ring, shepherd’s hook and CPR instructions mounted at poolside.
- Do not use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision.
- If a child is missing, always check the pool first. Seconds count.
- Remove toys from in and around the pool when not in use.
- Instruct babysitters about potential pool hazards, and emphasize the need for constant supervision.
- Responsibilities of pool ownership include ensuring children in the home learn to swim, and that adults know CPR.
- Do not consider children “drown-proof” because they’ve had swimming lessons.