Doctor discusses swimming pool safety

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) -- Experts are offering parents tips on pool safety as children enjoy summer vacation.

Broward County has one of the highest rates of drowning cases for children under the 5 in the US. Dr. Peter Aritevy of Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital said, "We are the worst county in Florida, and Florida is the worst state in the United States, so we are at the epicenter of drowning here in Southern Florida and Broward County."

In Nov. 2008, Glenda Robinson's son, Jeremy, nearly drowned. Jeremy was playing by a swimming pool one day when he fell into it. His older sister, Jasmine, discovered Jeremy in the pool. "By the time Jasmine found him, he was purple, so we don't know how long he had been face down in the pool," Robinson said. "My husband and his friend started CPR. Jasmine called 911. By the time she hung up, Pembroke Pines Police arrived, continued CPR."

Jeremy was then rushed to the emergency room. Dr. Aritevy said, "When they brought him to me in the ER, he wasn't really there. His heart was beating, thankfully."

"They said, there was nothing they could tell us except to continue praying, and so we did," Robinson said.

Doctors at Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital helped save Jeremy's life. "He's one of those situations where we say, wow, it worked exactly how it was supposed to work," said Dr. Aritevy.

Robinson said, "He came through. As the night progressed, he became more awake, more alert, and he spent about a week in the hospital getting himself back together."

Robinson offered tips for preventing child drowning. "Never leave children unattended. Never take for granted sliding glass doors, locks, safety devices on the pool in terms of a fence. Swimming lessons, I mean, you can get them from when they're so young," she said.

Dr. Aritevy agreed. "If you have a pool, talk about the safety of that pool. Talk about what happens if someone does drown in your pool. Do you have the equipment there available to you? Are you CPR-certified?" he said.

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Why You Should Use a Swimming Pool Cover

The big question most pool owners have about swimming pool covers is whether it is actually necessary. Covers are used primarily to prevent leaves, bugs, branches and twigs from falling into your pool and creating more damage. This consideration alone prompts many pool owners to want a cover.

The most important consideration when you decide to buy your pool cover is the size. It must fit properly. You may be tempted to cut corners and buy a standard cover for your pool, but you will have less grief in the long run if you simply get a custom cover.

Your cover should be able to fit all the angles, steps, and other areas of your pool. Purchasing something standard that does not quite cover your pool defeats the purpose of protecting it. If any of the debris you are guarding against makes its way into your pool, you are faced with the same problems you would have faced initially with no cover.

Next, you will need to decide whether you want a safety cover, water bag cover or automatic cover.

Water bag covers give you an extra advantage because they use weighted bags to hold your swimming pool cover in place. This is an added security feature during heavy winds, rains and storms. Water bags are placed either inside the pool or on top of the cover and are about two or three feet apart.

Warranties will be an important consideration during your purchase. The time limit on most of them is about two years, but always read the fine print and know what the manufacturer covers.

Stitching is a strong determining factor for quality in pool covers. It should be more than 10 x 10 to meet the definition of “sturdy,” and it costs a little more than regular covers. You will not be able to prevent some winter damage to your cover. You can, however, cut down on the wind damage by placing a little bit of water atop the cover.

Swimming pool covers should be about four feet larger than the pool they intend to cover. The important thing is to make sure your pool is protected. Being preventive will save you a lot of headaches in the spring and summer when the heat returns.

The Swimming Pool Accessories Guide was established to help people learn about properly usage of swimming pool accessories.

By Tom Moseley