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A video that sufaced on X (formerly Twitter) recently serves as a reminder to all parents that young children need to be monitored at all times even if they are playing in a seemingly “safe” environment.
The closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage showed a child happily wading in an inflatable pool. Judging from the footage, the water level seems to be just above her knee.
About 15 seconds into the video, the little girl slipped and fell back-first into the water. She managed to keep herself above the water by putting her arms behind her and keeping her hands on the floor of the pool, but just barely.
A few seconds later, she thrashed her feet and attempted to stand up but struggled to do so. In her panicked state, her situation only got worse.
The girl kept slipping as she tried to stand up, with her head submerging in the water every time she fell. She made gurgling sounds as she struggled and finally managed to let out a scream when she got her head above the water for a moment.
Later, a woman could be heard shouting just before coming into the frame, and stepped into the inflatable pool to lift the little girl out of the water.
Many criticised the parents or guardian of the child, citing irresponsibility
In the comments section, several users highlighted how the water level was not shallow enough to be safe.
One user said “The water level is too high. For my four-year-old, I only fill the water up to the ankles. They want to crouch or lie down that’s up to them, but always watch them”.
Another user pointed out how the gate of the house was also left open, on top of leaving the child in a pool on her own with no supervision.
Drowning cases involving children are mostly boys aged below 15 years old
The Malaysian Pediatric Association highlighted in a 2023 article that an average of 10 children below 14 years old died each month due to drowning between 2017 to 2021.
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Department of Statistics (DOSM) reported 591 drownings of children aged less than one year to 14 years old from 2017 to 2021. Boys made up 74% of that number.
Nordin Pauzi, the Fire Safety Division acting head of the Fire and Rescue Department in Putrajaya said at the time that “If a person is submerged for three minutes or more, the chances to revive them through cardiopulmonary rescuscitation (CPR) are very slim”.
He also advised parents to stay within reach of their children and warned that if they are sitting too far away, it takes longer for them to reach or retrieve their children in an emergency.
Additionally, Nordin also noted children are at high risk of drowning because of their eagerness and excitement over water activities, often without understanding risks.
READ MORE: Drowning Is The Leading Cause Of Death For Young Children In Many Countries
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