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News

So lucky - 'drowned' toddler is revived after 7 hours

116 replies

Hulababy · 15/07/2004 10:44

Summary:

A toddler was revived more than seven hours after he was found face down in his family's pond.

The medical team worked for more than five hours to make his heart beat again and another two stabilising him.

Dr Makwana said the boy survived because the cold water, coupled with the chilly winter weather and his small size, caused his temperature to plummet suddenly. He said this sent him effectively into a deep freeze which had prevented significant brain injury.

But Joe's father said his two large ponds will not be filled in despite the near tragedy.

He added: "I don't see that it benefits anybody to be so scared of everything. Accidents happen."

Full story here

Wow how lucky is this family.

Think I would be filling in the ponds though. Accidents may happen - but I wouldn't want to risk it again. DH's grandad filled in his very shallow pond the moment he heard he was getting great grandchildren. He didn't even want the risk to be there.

OP posts:

Report

bundle · 15/07/2004 10:47

didn't lemonice have a similar experience? and has anyone read Behind the Scenes at the Museum?

MeanBean · 15/07/2004 11:00

I agree Hulababy, when I moved into my place, the first thing I did was have the pond drained. I just don't see the point of creating unnecessary work - I knew that if the pond stayed there, I would never be able to let the children into the garden by themselves, which is too inconvenient to live with.

Hulababy · 15/07/2004 11:01

I would also find it a constant reminder of what had happened and, worse still, what could have happened. Just looking out of the window and seeing it would have me heart broken every day I imagine. It would have to go for me.

OP posts:

MeanBean · 15/07/2004 11:03

Interesting that they don't report his mother's feelings about the pond! I wonder....

angelpoppet · 15/07/2004 11:05

I might be being really thick but how come the boy was left for 2 hours - didn't anyone notice his absence????

JanZ · 15/07/2004 11:08

Where does it say he was left for two hours?

angelpoppet · 15/07/2004 11:10

He was revived after 7 hours but the medical team were working on him for 5 - what happened in the other 2 hours????

Chandra · 15/07/2004 11:12

stabilising?

aloha · 15/07/2004 11:20

They shouldn't let the boy come home from hospital until his stupid father gets those ponds filled in. Does he have no idea how lucky he is? Does he want his son dead? Stupid, stupid bastard. We had a tiny pond for the entertainment of my stepdaughter but when I was pregnant, we filled it in again. They are a terrible risk to small children. Muriel Grey's daughter suffered catastrophic brain damage when she fell into a neighbour's pond and her story has haunted me ever since.

bundle · 15/07/2004 11:27

agree with aloha. a friend's dd got trapped under a smallish swimming pool's cover (obviously put on to prevent wee ones getting in) and she only just heard her whimpering.

JanZ · 15/07/2004 11:27

It's sloppy wording - if you read the detail it says "worked for more than five hours to make his heart beat again and another two stabilising him", 5+2=7 hence the headline "7 hour fight to save toddler".

Chandra · 15/07/2004 11:31

HOnestly speaking I don't think he has been so lucky, reviving somebody after such a long time it's highly likely to produce brain damage, probably not noticeable at the moment but who know about later? the person is going to be haunted by the "waht if he did get damaged>>?" questions everytime his son does something unusual.

Agrre about filling the ponds, stupid MIL has one and has decided that is there for DS (16m) to enjoy and there's no protection at all around it!!! which wouldn't worry me so much if she was not so careless.

angelpoppet · 15/07/2004 11:33

Sorry, should have read it more carefully - I was too busy being angry at the father for his flipancy over the matter. I would be distraught if this had happened to my dd

lemonice · 15/07/2004 11:34

Yes this did happen to me when I was 4 again the weather was very cold (snow on the ground) We lived by the Thames and had a creek running around the house (kept a boat under the living room) As I mentioned somewhere else recently I was fishing with a bamboo cane and my mum was gardening on the other side of the garden. I was in the water face down about 45 minutes before my mother eventually managed to get me out with a boat hook (she tried to wade in but the water was over her head.) At that time they hadn't discovered this thermal shock theory but that is obviously how I survived.

We always played out, i don't think I could have bought such a house with young children but my parents didn't worry.

aloha · 15/07/2004 11:36

And ponds are like magnets for kids, which is why they are so dangerous. You could at the very least put a thick mesh over the top like they do on Home Front. The father's comments beggar belief.

SoupDragon · 15/07/2004 11:37

It's a terrible story with a happy ending.

In defense of ponds, we had a pond for the whole time I was growing up and my 2 elder brothers and I were taught not to go near the edge or to be stupid around it. There are more dangerous things than ponds.

SoupDragon · 15/07/2004 11:37

This is one reason I've made sure my DSs can swim.

Hulababy · 15/07/2004 11:38

The final 2 hours were spent stabalising him once revived - getting his vital stats back on track I guess.

OP posts:

Hulababy · 15/07/2004 11:40

OMG lemonice!

Soupdragon - I agree that there are more dangerous things BUt could you really tempt fate twice?

OP posts:

SoupDragon · 15/07/2004 11:42

I'm not sure what I'd do if it were my pond... I'd probably mesh it over rather than fill it in.

SoupDragon · 15/07/2004 11:45

@ Lemonice's story.

Personal experience always plays a part in our risk assessment. Since we had a pond with no problems and there were no incidents in my memory, I don't see them as so much of a danger. My parents have one now and I always watch the boys whilst they play in the garden. Now, at 3 and 5, they both know not to play near it and as they can both swim (and stand up in the pond!) I do not worry quite so much now. I still reinforce the "be careful round the pond" rule before they go out though.

lemonice · 15/07/2004 11:51

My parents did have me taught to swim the following year when I had made best friends with a girl whose mother ran a swimming school. They had an indoor pool in a kind of huge greenhouse and an outdoor pool. Bizarrely we used to go in and swim UNSUPERVISED and I remember us going in the pools when the covers which floated on the pool surface were on which is very dangerous. We also were swimming in the pool one day and I decided to see what it was like with no clothes on and the parents showed some people round the facilities and I was mortified They also ran a nursery school and we decided one day to set the hose up going down the high metal slide, put on ballet shoes and I had to go down first standing up! I shot down and straight off the end and when I stood up I couldn't speak and my friend thought I was pretending (I know now that all the air had shot out of my lungs)

Hulababy · 15/07/2004 11:51

In some cases though being able to swim isn't enough. Very cold water simply renders the body rigid and even very strong swimmers ebing helpless in it.

I don't now. I am a weak swimmer and simply can't risk water dangers atall as a result.

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aloha · 15/07/2004 11:53

Garden ponds are THE key place where children drown. 69% of toddlers who drown, drown in garden ponds, and of course, many survive, but with varying degrees of damage. BTW, 78% of child drowing fatalities in under fives happen to boys. For older children yes, but if you have babies or toddlers, then I would say fill it in or put a strong purpose-made mesh over the top. The potential for harm is so great, why not?

lemonice · 15/07/2004 11:53

Sorry to be thread grabbing here but even if I could swim I probably would have drowned (or not) because I was wearing winter clothes and a duffle coat and wellingtons! One of my favourite films is Don't Look Now.

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