CHESAPEAKE, Va. — Recent reports of drownings in the area have alarmed many families, prompting one Chesapeake family to take serious action on water safety after a close call with their toddler.
Six-year-old Olivia Carlin is enrolled in swim lessons at the YMCA in Great Bridge. Her motivation stems from a terrifying incident involving her 2-year-old brother, Holden, that left the family shaken.
Emily Carlin, their mother, recounted the frightening moment: “I turned around, and someone asked, ‘Where’s Holden?’ My heart just dropped. I ran to the pool, and there he was... his head was at the bottom, his feet were at the top.”
Emily described how she pulled Holden from the water after he had been submerged. “He was blue from the stomach up. I pulled him out, and my husband started hitting his back until a gallon of water came out. That helped save him. My cousin began CPR, and it took five rounds for him to come back.”
Holden began breathing on his own again and escaped serious injury. But statistics underscore the danger. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that 70% of drownings involve children 15 and under. So far this year, nine children under age 5 have drowned in pools — an increase over the past five years, according to the Chesapeake Health Department.
Rather than avoiding water, the Carlin children are embracing it. Emily said, “I was very nervous, but it helped me be a lot more comfortable seeing all the people watching her. You could see it click in her head – this is what I’m supposed to do in the water.”
Determined for her whole family to feel safe, Emily welcomed support from the YMCA, which provided the Carlin family with a certificate for six months of free swim lessons.
Joy Thomen of the YMCA emphasized the importance of family involvement in water safety: “The parents need to know, and the whole family needs to understand how to supervise their children outside of lessons. It’s crucial for the entire family to build their skills together.”
For Emily, the program is life-changing. “This means I can breathe again. I know we can get the help we need as a family,” she said.
The Chesapeake Health Department offers these tips to increase safety around residential pools:
- Properly fence all pools with at least a 4-foot barrier and use a self-closing, self-latching gate.
- Use anti-entrapment drain covers, and encourage swimmers to stay away from drains and other openings.
- Always remove portable pool ladders when not in use or when adults aren’t present.
- Remove toys from the pool area that might attract children when adults aren’t supervising.
- Install alarms on doors leading from the house to the pool area.
- Empty and put away small portable pools after each use. Cover larger portable pools.
- Make sure neighbors, babysitters and visitors know about the pool’s presence.
The department also reminds families:
- Always watch children in and around the water and designate a “water watcher.”
- Teach children to swim or sign them up for swim classes.
- Learn lifesaving skills, including CPR for adults and children.
Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1 to 4. It happens quickly and silently. In Virginia, on average, one person drowns every four days.
For more information, visit swimhealthyva.com.
