Children drowning on holiday.

It often seems to be occasions where there is a group or party and that becomes much more dangerous because people assume there is safety in numbers and it’s the opposite.

But.. like others I have seen some people be incredibly lax re pools on holiday.

Just terrible.

Whatever the circumstances around this incident, the parents are now starting a life sentence. I can’t even begin to imagine.

I was once in the pool at center parcs and saw the tips of a child’s fingers above the water. She came up slowly, then went back under. I grabbed her and slung her upwards, onto the side, where water gushed from her mouth. She had been upright, and the pool was really busy. I think people tend to think of drowning as a body floating face down, or splashing a lot, but this was silent, and the only thing immediately visible were her fingers. It was terrifying how easy it would’ve been to miss her.

Mine are much older but we still all look out for each other in water. When hubby goes out to sea, I still spot for him. It can happan to adults who are good swimmers let alone children. But im not passing judgement. We dont know the circumstances and regardless our thoughts go out to them.

It's a tragedy and why as a single parent I didn't feel comfortable taking mine on overseas holiday until they were 8 & 10. Even now they are older and swim like fish and dd2 spends a ridiculous amount of time upside down and under the water I never fully relax although I do let them in on their own if I can see them.

It can happen in an instant though - dd1 was nearly face down in hot tub in a lodge when she was 2 because as we arrived with the luggage she toddled outside and reached down to look under the cover - terrifying.

We always used to tag each other on and off duty on beaches (spot the NHS staff!) and always dressed our 3 DC in the same brightly coloured football tops so they were easy to spot.

My heart goes out to these parents.

I agree.

I think all parents have at some point had their child in a situation or place where an accident could have occurred but were just lucky. Most of us probably don’t even know or realise when that was.

Sometimes it is down to negligence but most of the time it’s just awful awful luck.

I agree! It's gut wrenching!!

Everyone thinks it could never happen to them, until it does. Tragedies happen to responsible parents too.

Obviously you need to keep an eye on them at all times, goes without saying really. But children aren't dying and falling in the deep end and being plucked out immediately thankfully. You don't have a long time to get them out before brain damage or they die, but you've usually got a couple of minutes, much longer for an adult.

The problem is once you've taken your eye off the child, and then see that they're missing, the clock's already running, and you've often got no idea where to start looking, even if it turns out your child is a metre form you, or you can't see them because they're under the water and they're wearing blue.

Anyone could be distracted in a moment. You accidentally get splashed or kicked by another child, someone called your name, loud unexpected noise, whatever, and for a split second you look away. It's a bit pedantic, but the issue isn't that kids are drowning in seconds, but that you can lose them in seconds, but it may take minutes or longer to find them. So make then as visible as you can in water.

Ensuring they have bright (non blue) swimwear and being in the water with the child rather than supervising from the sides. It's probably the most important thing. When they are old enough to swim without you in the water, buddying up with other kids can also be helpful. You can also get high visibility wristbands for them to wear.

Lol my autistic son had a total melt down when he was young for same reason wanted to jump in Thames! Glad it’s not just us, he had to be restrained to stop him jumping

I was in the kids' pool on holiday with my toddler which was about rib height on me. It was crowded. I just happened to look to my right and saw a little boy about 3 under the water with his eyes open, but he was just 'sat' there under the water, not coming up. At that point, I saw what must have been his dad, realise and jump up from his sun lounger, but he was a good few metres away. I dipped my hands under the water and lifted the boy up to the surface. Luckily he was ok, but it really doesn't take much for it all to go wrong.

I was staying at a large resort in Greece recently with a marina, many pools and poolside restaurants. The resort is very family friendly and there were many toddlers about as it’s not school holiday time and small child places are free. Quite a bit of cocktail drinking, scooter riding and generally having a lovely time. People seemed incredibly relaxed and I was terrified even though my toddler days are long gone.

A lot of pool accidents happen not because children are poorly supervised swimming but because they access the swimming pool without adults being aware of this, i.e. the adults think the child is sleeping. Too many parents who are careful, diligent parents have lost children this way. Pools are dangerous.

It's so terribly sad OP. I do think people massively under estimate the risks around water.
I was in a swim team for years & trained as a lifeguard. I can always remember one test where someone had to jump on you like they were panicking and you had to keep them away / get them off... While wearing clothes and shoes in deep water. It was bloody hard.
Or 20 lengths swimming while carrying someone.

I think people need a greater respect or awareness of water.
(Unlikely) But mandatory water safety in schools would be amazing.

I had holiday cottages and would have loved a pool but parents were so irresponsible I just felt it wasn’t worth. Someone let their 2 year old come round to my garden, so completely out of sight and hearing, and crap in my garden.

Whilst you were saving one the other could have drowned because you would have been distracted and unable to have eyes on both (through no fault of your own).

Years ago my boss and her family were all on holiday in a villa, they noticed there 2 year old wasn't in the house, wife thought he was upstairs with her husband and vice versa. Luckily someone else in the house spotted him and he walked onto the pool cover and went straight under, they were very lucky and he was fine but they did say how close it had been as if the other family member had not seen him go under it would have been too late by the time they checked the pool.
Unfortunately no matter how careful you are accidents do happen.

I am not casting blame or being goady, but how can we make it clearer that someone needs to watch a child 100% of the time if near water.

Except you are.

People know this.

We don't know the exact circumstances of this.

With the best will in the world, accidents happen, people are not infallible.

First seaside holiday with baby and toddler. Walked to the cool British beach, about 6pm. Toddler ran, fully clothed inc coat and shoes, to the sea. DH ran after him but in that few seconds toddler was knocked off his feet by a wave and head was under the water.
Who knows how much water he swallowed, was any ingested? 40 years ago I hadn’t heard of secondary/dry drowning.

Fortunately he was fine, albeit soaking wet.

My point is, it’s exhausting but it MUST be done.

Everyone with adult children misses lots of stuff about having small children, in some ways. However, now mine are grown I don’t miss our careful rotas on holiday, which required one parent to have active eyes on at all times. As well as not letting them get in any way out of their depth.

I also think we need more lifeguards as a requirement pool side or by kids swimming areas . The awful accident at Liquid Leisure is a case in point. And don't get me started on Aqua Parks...

I’ve just come back from 2 weeks abroad at a family resort and it was absolutely alarming how many parents were totally oblivious as to where their little ones were or what they were doing.

To be clear im not talking about 10 seconds here and there while parents are tending to other sibling/getting something out of a bag. Quite frequently 15/20 mins would go by with no sign of adults. I got the impression lots of the parents just assume ‘somebody’ would watch them and weren’t particularly bothered who as long as they could sunbathe.

I have a pool. They are beyond dangerous, I think anyone not used to being on constant high alert doesn't realise the danger. Small dcs who can swim can and often do go into shock if they fall in and sink without making any attempt to swim to the surface. I have literally stood at the pool side blocking guests dcs from coming near and loudly told their parents 'open water hazard!!!'. Now if we have a party I make sure there is always one adult by the pool just watching the water.

On a related note, do not buy your dcs blue swimwear. Put them in something bright, like orange or red. A child underwater wearing blue is nearly invisible from poolside. Unless someone was actively scanning the water for them they wouldn't see them.