dd had frightening near drowning incident this morning - please be extremely careful around water

[ClaudiaSlasher]

This was really all my fault and I feel terrible but am just mentioning it here as it all happened so quickly and was so dangerous and frightening, and could have been SO much worse. And now summer is coming - at least here in Oz I wanted to remind everyone to be really really careful - more careful than me.

Anyway, dd2 and I were in a pool this morning having a swimming lesson with other babies, parents and instructor. Dd 1 (aged 3) was sitting on the edge of the pool (she can't yet swim and wasn't wearing floaties) with strict instructions not to get in. Other parents sitting on the side. So dd2 and I were having our lesson, I looked up and saw dd1 paddling in the water on the edge reminded her to sit down, which she did. Literally seconds later I looked over again and she was face down in the water not moving. F*king horrifying. I screamed and waded over - still carrying dd2. Thankfully another mum ran into the water and hoiked my dd out - who was then sick but fine iyswim.

So, it was awful, and my fault entirely and I feel dreadful. But it did give me a total shock just at how quickly it happened. So please please please be careful out there.

That's it.

I will probably make her wear floaties in the bath from now on.

[Shells]

Claudia - poor you. Horrible horrible thing to have happen. Try not to beat yourself up. And well done to the other mum.

I put my 3 year old DS into big swimming pool once in the deep end, totally forgetting he didn't have floaties on. He promptly sank and I dived in fully clothed to get him! It was a bit comic afterwards but bloody awful at the time.

[ClaudiaSlasher]

Thank you Shells. The other mum was wonderful, she just strode in fully clothed, trainers on and grabbed dd out. I love love love her.

I can't shake the image of dd head down in the water, it makes me sob just thinking about it. I think I will retain that image for life.

[sandcastles]

Oh no! Thank you that other mum! What a star!

Claudia, thank god that dd1 is OK! It does happen so quickly like you say! In this warmer weather too, nice to paddle your feet!

SO so so so pleased all is OK.

[Twiglett]

I'm really pleased that everything was ok, and well done that woman.

But honestly? The swimming pool allows you to leave a 3 year old unaccompanied on the edge of the pool? Really? I am totally shocked. They should have policies against this, this was an accident waiting to happen. No child is responsible enough around water until they are a proficient swimmer and old enough to appreciate the danger.

[Anna8888]

Agree entirely with Twiglett.

At my parents' local pool in Kent, there is a one adultne child policy for children under four.

[Anna8888]

that is meant to be "one adult : one child"

[ClaudiaSlasher]

This was a private pool hired by the swimming teacher to give lessons so not sure what their policy is - prob don't have one.

There were other adults around so the likelihood of anything totally disastrous happening was slim, but I was just totally shocked at how quickly it all happened.

[ViolentSlasherFlickFemme]

Thanks for the warning Claudia. We've just bought a floatie vest type thing for ds. I can't imagine how sick you felt. Well done that woman!

[ViolentSlasherFlickFemme]

Meant to ask, how is your dd? I hope it hasn't frightened her from the water as swimming is such a way of life out here. I hope she'll take it in her stride.

[Saggarmakersbottomknocker]

Oh gosh, how scary. Well done that mum.

dh has pulled two children out in similar separate incidents whilst on holiday. Both times the child was sat on the side watching a parent in the water. Floaties when near water is the way to go.

[ChopsTheDuck]

Aww, glad she is ok.

Water is jsut such a lure, no matter how clear you are they don't listen. Dt2 jumped straight in the deep end minus armbands during the summer even though I had told him to Sit Still.
I was fuming that the lifeguard hadn't even noticed, nobody else noticed, and I had to swim 10m to rescue him, he was bobbing around head under hte water.

It is so scary. Hope she does recover from the shock quickly. dt2 was nervous for a bit after that but soon back to normal.

[ClaudiaSlasher]

It's bloody terrifying isn't it chops.

Fortunately dd is absolutely fine, after a bit of post-incident vomiting and a cuddle from mum - whilst wonderful life-saving other mummy cuddled dd2 (I solove her). She hopped back into the water to have her lesson. Wearing a bubble of course.

I will never let her near water again without wearing floating aids. You may well see her at the Olympics in 15 yrs time. You will know it is my dd as she will be the only one wearing floaties .

[ViolentSlasherFlickFemme]

LOL at new Olympic sport of floaty swimming...

[BloodyStranglingwithBling]

I don't think you should blame yourself too much. You were keeping an eye on her. And kids at that age - I'm often surpised at how resilient they are, even though they seem to wriggle away all the time(and let's not even talk about teenagers!)

My 2yr old brother pushed my 3yr old self into the pool many moons ago. Luckily for me (and baby brother), a friend of our older brother was lurking, saw what happened and jumped in to save me. In retrospect, that's even more impressive than it sounds as he was about 12 at the time and probably was wearing his "cool" clothes. Certainly he was wearing his shoes and watch. .

Brilliant that the other mums are watching out for other kids too.

[mumoverseas]

oh claudia, I'm sorry you had the scare but thank god DD is ok.
We had a scare in the summer in our pool. I'd been playing with DD (then aged 21 months) with her armbands on then she took them off and sat on the steps. I was then in the water with my elder daugther (aged 12) inflating some stupid pool toy and when I looked around little DD was lying face down. We hadn't even heard her go into the water and she must have just slid off the steps quietly. Thank god she was ok but it was a terrible moment and I know exactly how you feel. It was not your fault, it just happened and you know now it will never happen again. x

[uptomyeyes]

Another mum who berates her self for near miss pool accident here. We nearly lost DS2 in a pool accident when he was 3. We were sharing a villa with friends and had a pool, fenced off witj lockable gate. We had strict instructions that the children had adhered to for a fortnight but on the last night one of our party let his 9 yo daughter into the pool area for a last swim. DS2 must have slipped through the gate before it clicked into a locked position. next thing we heard was the 9 year old shouting to us and we ran to the pool to see her holding DS2's face above the water. I am absolutely paranoid around pools, ponds - all water really.