Awareness emphasized for ‘drowning season’

Jen Lawson

Tuesday, June 10, 2003 | 9:07 a.m.

Constant adult supervision is the answer to preventing child drownings. Many of the victims were last seen inside the home in an area that was considered safe. The Clark County Safe Kids Coalition recommends the following:

Of all the near-drownings Carl Nelson has responded to with the Clark County Fire Department, the one he remembers most vividly happened about 10 years ago and involved a 7-year-old girl.

"The mom couldn't find her, and she thought she might be in the pool," Nelson, now an emergency medical services supervisor, said. "We started going through the pool with a broom."

Rescuers found her, and got her heart beating. After being in a coma for three days, she pulled through, and the only residual health problem was an eye infection she received from bacteria in the pool water.

"It's one of those things where you feel really good because you did something," Nelson said.

But some children aren't as lucky. From Jan. 1 through the end of May, five children under 14 have drowned in Clark County, according to the county health district. Twelve have almost drowned.

In 2002, six children drowned and 49 almost drowned. There were eight child drownings and 57 near drownings in 2001.

Now that school is out and the temperatures are reaching the triple digits, the Clark County and Las Vegas fire departments, along with Metro Police, want to remind parents that constant adult supervision is the best way to prevent drownings.

Southern Nevada's so-called "drowning season" runs roughly from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

"There has to be an awareness that these things do happen," Capt. Terry Lesney of Metro's crimes against youth and family section. "Just because you are a good parent doesn't mean you can't screw up."

Southern Nevadans have no raging rivers or strong undercurrents to fear. When it comes to drowning, the biggest dangers are the backyard pool and bathtub.

Of the five drownings that have occurred this year, three were in bathtubs and two were in swimming pools, according to the health district.

Nelson used to be an operations supervisor at Wet 'n Wild water park, and he said near-drownings occurred there from time to time, even with lifeguards on duty.

Floatation devices can give parents a false sense of security, he said.

"In a crowded pool, a public pool, everyone takes it for granted that nothing will happen because there are so many people around," he said. "Floaties may keep their arms up, but is is going to keep their head out of the water?"

But Mike Bernstein of Clark County Safe Kids Coalition pointed out that drowning is called the "silent death" because often, there is no cry for help and very little splashing.

When police suspect neglect or endangerment, they forward the case to the district attorney's office.

But, Lesney said, in the majority of the cases, the district attorney's office chooses not to prosecute unless willful negligence can be proven.

"It's hard to put yourself in the situation, but a lot of these parents are good parents, loving parents, and no one thinks it's going to happen to them," Lesney said.