It happens fast. Don’t even blink.
That’s the message from local authorities warning parents about swimming pool dangers after two near-drowning incidents in Independence Township over the weekend.
The first call came Sunday after the father of a 2 1/2-year-old girl found his daughter face-down in about four feet of water in the family pool.
The man told police he was sitting on the back deck of his home with one of his boys when the little girl left the house, got past him and down the stairs to the pool area without his knowledge.
The man estimated his daughter was under water for about one minute before he pulled her out, dialed 911 and began CPR on the child.
‘There’s only one tip as far as I’m concerned,? said Lt. Dale LaBair, commander of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Independence Township substation. ‘If you’re going to have a kid around a pool, they must be watched one hundred percent of the time, without exceptions. You don’t even blink.?
The victim was screaming and alert after the incident, but was transported to a local hospital for additional medical treatment.
LaBair said swimming lessons are also a good idea for all children, especially those growing up in areas like Oakland County, where summertime water activities are popular with residents.
In a separate incident Sunday, deputies and fire personnel responded to a call from a family in the 5400 block of Whipple Lake Road for an unresponsive child.
According to police reports, the 3-year-old was playing in the family pool.
The child, who was wearing ‘proper flotation devices? at the time of the incident, was resuscitated by his parents and transported to Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital Independence Township Fire personnel for additional medical treatment.