Thread: Child eviscerated by pool drain

A 6-year-old Edina girl remained hospitalized in serious condition Wednesday after an unusual accident in which several feet of her intestine were pulled out by the suction of a swimming pool drain...

Bennett said doctors had to perform surgery to remove the part of Abigail's intestine that remained following the accident. He said it is likely that she will have to be fed intravenously for the rest of her life.

Although some details of the accident are still fuzzy, it is known that Abigail was able to free herself from the drain and get out of the pool on her own without calling for help. As a result, the extent of her injuries wasn't immediately evident to the people near her.In a message posted on the Caring Bridge, a nonprofit Internet site that offers free Web pages to families of people recovering from illness or injuries, the Taylors said the protective cover on the pool's drain had come off.


If so, the scenario of the injury fits a pattern that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission warned about in a 2005 report, "Guidelines for Entrapment Hazards: Making Pools and Spas Safer."


According to the report, if a child sits on an open drain, the suction, which can reach several hundred pounds per square inch, can rupture the rectum and eviscerate the child in a matter of seconds.

There have been three such incidents since 1990. The most recent was two years ago when a 3-year-old was disemboweled by a hot tub drain...



<http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1285137.html>

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Another horrible story of a injury to a child in a wading area of a pool.

These wading areas should be banned at public pools because it gives the parents a false impression their child is safe because their in water maybe a 1.5ft. deep.

I have always heard most accidents with a child in a pool happen in these wading areas.

I remember watching them as a kid myself. Kids would be placed in their while all the moms gathered up on the benches and talked not paying much attention to the kids.

This is why I tell all of my Clients who have pools, to make sure the drain is shut off at the valve whenever you are having a party or kids are coming over.

How did the drain cover come off?

Pool-drain victim remains hospitalized

This may be a good handout for all homes inspected with a pool or hot tub.

http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/363.pdf

Are Pool Operators Licensed in St. Louis?

Joe,

If this was a pool at a club house or say at a multi-family dwelling complex, the only thing required at this time is for the pool to be inspected a CPI (Certified Pool Inspector) the day the pool is opened and closed each year.

The maintenance can be done by a "pool operator" but does not require a license in most states, but only has to attend a pool seminar on operation and pool safety every (5) years. Whoever opened the pool that day though, did have the responsibility of looking at the drain covers to be in place.

After reading the posts here, ... I had a brain fart of an idea. May sound silly, but hey, could possibly save a life or prevent serious injury. This could be on the market already, … I dunno. They (pool designers, etc) should incorporate in the suction lines, some sort of limit (pressure or suction) switch where when the suction drain is blocked for a certain amount of time, or reaches a certain suction pressure, the pump will automatically shut off. When unblocked, the pressure switch (pump) will reactivate, suction resumes.

Example: Kid is swimming at bottom or side of pool, becomes trapped by a suction line. Limit switch senses no suction pressure, thus shuts down the pump. Pump stops, kid floats back to the top cussing and screaming mommy mommy. Meanwhile, while the kid is at the surface, the limit switch senses no blockage and resumes suction. It sounds like a good idea to me !!

Hey, if this didn’t make any sense, it’s because I had a long day- lol.

Not a pretty picture. Regardless of State Standards or local laws, we can do our very best to alert new homeowners on how to be safe with their pool . We have access to pass this information along.

I cannot say enough about passing along Health and Safety Issues to our consumers. It makes for a better place to live!

Never let it be said that if directly or indirectly you save one life you have done you job well.

Claudia Lawrence, TWI Affiliates

Claudia,
Thank you for sharing this info
I do hope this has not had a direct impact on any of your personal family....
I can tell you
this room is full of a bunch of TOUGH (on the outside) guys that will not forget what you have shared...


Robert,
Your idea is great
Now try to explain to the sensor on the pool pump
the difference between a person blocking the filter
and a blown down branch with leaves clogging it.

I have inspected many pools and the only ones I worry about are pre-1990

I also owned a home with a pool that gave me a hair trim @ the filter in the bottom of the pool when I dove off the roof....luckily i wasn't the only fool being crazy and got help before I drowned.

I suggest that all equipment be turned OFF during swimming time
That way noone gets sucked in nor do they get whipped in the face by the "loc ness monsters" tail......

~Wen~

Wen, …. You make a good point about the sensor knowing the difference between branch and person, and it would be somewhat difficult explaining it to the pump. But, I do feel there’s a significant trade off here. There may be an “inconvenience” of the pump stopping because of a branch, and having to remove it from the pool, …. But on the other side of the coin, I don’t think it would be an inconvenience having to pull someone out of the pool after being so exhausted from trying to escape a Suction Monster (suction pump).

You also make a excellent point about the equipment being turned off when not in use, …. But I believe in Murphy’s Law. If someone will forget to do so, … they will (unless some sort of timer could be installed).

It’s in a kid’s nature to sit in a pool and play with the suction drain (I know, cuzz I did it – duh me ). If their lucky enough to get stuck with someone around, then they have a 50/50 chance of getting rescued (will they or will they not be seen in time?). If their unfortunate, and get stuck with no one around, then their screwed (unless they can work their way loose).

So, to me, it’s well worth the pump stopping and not knowing the difference between branch and person. It’s a lot more expensive having to bury someone than to replace a pump after being burnt out. Any hoot, that’s my 2 cent opinion on the matter.

BTW – How are things in Sac / Elk Grove ? I use to live in Elk Grove near Laguna Blvd. Was back there about six months ago, …. It’s really growing.

Robert,

How about under water motion sensors???? Directly linked to the pump?
Hmmmmmmmmmm just thinking

Why on earth did you move to Canada? Who are you hiding from? LOL
It's SOOOOOO expensive there/ BEAUTIFUL / but expensive!

Elk Grove Laguna is out of control ! Sometimes I think I'm going the wrong direction when enroute to a HI, landmarks are replaced by shopping centers/Malls and thousands of Homes.....
Remember Elk Grove-Florin? All dirt and scattered country homes.....
Now there are Apartment complexes
More shopping centers
Storage facilities
Restaurants
Housing developments
and "It's a small world style" Subdivisions similar to San Fran, Zero lot lines, painted like Easter eggs.
there are only 3 un-developed pieces of land between Bond and Gerber!

Foothills are looking better each day
~Wen~