Pool-death toll at high despite act

Press, 27 June 1989, Page 8

Pool-death toll at high despite act

PA Wellington Seven toddlers have drowned in home swimming pools this year — the highest figure in 10 years —- in spite of the passing of the Fencing of Swimming Pools Act a year ago. A spokesman for the Water Safety Council, Mr Graham Eggar, said six of the deaths, all involving children under five years, resulted from a lack of adult supervision and inadequately fenced pools. In one case a three-year-old child reached the gate latch and let a younger child into the pool. The child drowned. Early last month a year-old boy died after falling into his grandparents’ pool. The pool was fenced on three sides but the fourth side, a sliding door, was open. Another child died in a pool after climbing under a fence made of wire netting. Children were also known to have scaled fences using items oiled

next to them. A death which was not fence-related occurred when the child’s parents were in the pool but too drunk to react. Mr Eggar said the figures highlighted how some local authorities and the police were failing to enforce the act which covered all pools less than 1.2 m above ground, except some shallow paddling pools. Owners of unfenced or poorly fenced pools could face convictions and fines of up to $5OO, and $5O a day for continuing offences, but no-one had yet been prosecuted under the act, said Mr Eggar. “If someone drowns in an unfenced or improperly fenced pool it’s a similar offence to a vehicle owner killing someone because their car doesn’t meet a warrant of fitness,” he said.

Offenders could face police charges of negligence or manslaughter.