What a horrible way to go. Be careful if you have one of these things. Lots of people do.
Posted on 07/19/2005 3:42:42 PM PDT by Borges
A Montreal-area family is demanding that a manufacturer recall its inflatable pool, after a 13-year-old girl drowned on Sunday when her hair got stuck in the filtration system.
Judy Mirandette Gaudet was swimming in an above-ground inflatable pool in her aunt's yard in St-Come, north of Montreal, when her hair became stuck in the filtration system. Her head was pinned to the side of the pool, underwater.
Her nine-year cousin, Christina Morin, saw Judy kicking her feet, and at first thought she was playing a game. She only realized something was wrong when Judy ignored Christina's pleas to come to the surface.
Christina ran inside the house to get her mother, Chantal Morin.
"I tried pushing down on the pool to get her head above water but it didn't work," Chantal Morin told CFCF News.
She eventually used a knife to cut Judy free, but was unable to revive the girl. Judy was pronounced dead at a hospital in Joliette, Que.
Judy's uncle, Yvon Mirandette, questioned why there were no warnings about the filtration system, and hopes the Quebec coroner's office and provincial police will provide some answers.
Mirandette added that the intake filter was not equipped with a safety screen.
Inflatable pools have become a popular alternative for families who don't want to spend thousands to stay cool. They are easy to install, and having a filter means you can keep them up all summer.
Ross Lister, director of education and training for the Pool and Hot Tub Council of Canada, suggests consumers should ensure the safety cover fittings are properly installed and that swimmers should not play or swim near the suction fittings to avoid injury.
"If anybody has long hair in a pool with suction fittings, they (should) wear a bathing cap or wear it back in a very tight pony tail at the back of their head," he told CP.
Health Canada spokesperson Jonathan Williams says the department will investigate pool safety.
"The department of health is concerned with the safety of inflatable pools which are relatively new on the market," Williams said.
"We're examining these standards and giving consideration of what other features we can employ with respect to the safety of inflatable pools."
Meanwhile, Rosa Carneiro, another inflatable pool owner, suggests people who use such pools unplug the filters before anyone goes in the water.
I have heard of different stories like this. Its just awful. So sad.
That was like my worst Fear Ever.....
Gosh that is awful. I feel so bad for the family.
Could you imagine being the other girl, watching your cousin's feet kicking, and only realizing later she was drowning?
I would have nightmares for years.
saving for reading tomorrow
I don't want to trivialize this, but kids and adults drown in pools all the time, just from muscle cramps even without getting caught in a pump. This story is newsworthy, but hardly a cause celebre.
Yeah that is a tough situation, plus the helpless state of trying to rescue her for the mother.
I have always had a mild phobia of drowning...As a result I learned to swim at a very early age in order to minimize the possibility. If I didn't already, I would start wearing my hair short after reading this. The fear and panic this poor child must have gone through is heartbreaking. My prayers are for her and her family.
Poor thing. I wonder why she did not put her feet down and stand up.
I would imagine the filter intake was toward the bottom of the pool to collect the sinking detritus that can't be skimmed.
Without more info, my guess is that the skimmer basket was the culprit, where the flow (possibly in excess of 45GPM) could tangle long hair (think braiding as it passed through the basket) such that pulling from the poolside would be futile. The only thing that could have saved her would have been to reach into the skimmer,(along with her tangled hair) remove the basket, and shove it toward the pool (through the skimmer- using a lot of force).
These stories sicken me to this day and I've seen them all.
You couldn't just run over to the electrical outlet and pull the plug or switch off the power?
Very sad.....I'll bet they will be millionaires now.
No, not really, you see, her hair was already tangled (braided) into the basket. The basket is designed to 'fit' into the skimmer securely. Turning off the power would help, but your first response should be to pull the hair and basket out immediately.
These tragedies happen all the time with pools. There are always children trapped at the suction in-flow, and drowning.
After coming back from taking my kids swimming and reading this, I am totally overwhelmed with sadness. My prayers are with this poor family as they try and come to terms with this sensless death. May they find strength in the Lord as they try and carry on.
Actually if this was the popular "Easy-Set" Pool or a variation of it. This vinyl pool system has hoses connected to the pool near the top which connect then to a filter pump (All in one unit), I own one of these pools myself and if the safety screens which actually screw onto fittings inside the pool itself aren't secured 'screwed on' then I can see how this would happen. It scares me, because it is easy to forget to put them back on, because you have to take them off and plug the holes when you open the filter pump to change the filter, so the water doesn't start running out of the pool. However, the system requires that water be running through it for their to be any suction, I think it is actually gravity-fed. The first thing I would have done in this situation is unplugged the filter-pump immediately. I actually could turn mine off with a switch inside the house. Following that, I think it wouldn't be that difficult to pull the hair out of the inlet hose. If anything, I would have jumped into the pool and propped my child in a horizontal position that would allow them to breathe until I freed the hair. This is so scary.
The velocity of the water in the pipe (45-60GPM normal) will determine how much 'braiding' may occur behind the screen (in this case a skimmer basket).
If you have long hair and ever find yourself in this situation, tear your hair out of the skimmer, or tear it out of your head. Those are your only two options.
I would think simply cutting the suction line(usually plastic hose) at the intake of the pump or yanking the cord on the pump would stop the suction immediately.
It's a shame the mom spent all that time getting a knife to try to cut her free and not just cutting the suction line instead or yanking the cord out.
Terrible tragedy.
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