It’s Every Parent’s Nightmare. Important information about pools and the risks they pose. By Denise Koslowsky

2018-08-27
By: Denise Koslowsky

This summer I have come across two stories that have broken my heart as a mother.  On June 10^th 2018, both Morgan Miller & Nicole Hughes suffered an unimaginable loss.  The stories are very similar and unfortunately all too common. On that day both of their children drowned.

Morgan Miller, the wife of Olympic Skier Bode Miller describes enjoying a typical day at a neighbor’s house when her daughter, accidentally fell in the pool. 19-month-old Emmy Miller was thought to be playing quietly in the room but had gone outside through a slightly opened back door.  Tragically Emmy died later at the hospital when all attempts to save her failed.  Nicole Hughes is a mom from Tennessee who was vacationing in Alabama with friends.  Most of the parents and children were gathered around the television when Nicole noticed Levi was not among those gathered.  She had just split a brownie with him moments before and knew he had not gone far; she went outside and noticed him floating in the pool.  Although there were several doctor’s present, including his father, Levi was not able to be revived.

After hearing their stories, I thought it would be a topic to discuss for our blog.

Below we will offer some tips for preventing every parent’s nightmare, but first, let’s start with some facts.

Unfortunately, it can happen to any family.  Here are some things you need to know about kids and drowning:

• Drowning is the leading cause of death for children age 1-4.
• Drowning is the second leading cause of death for children 1-14.
• 69% of kids who drown are not expected to be swimming.
• An infant can drown in as little as an inch of water.
• It only takes a few seconds for a child to become unconscious and a few minutes for a child to drown.

Things you can do to help prevent kids from drowning:

• Enroll your young kids in a water survival class
• Put as many barriers between your child and the pool or hot tub.
• Install door alarms so you are alerted when a door is opened.
• Make sure all the doors have childproof locks
• Be sure your pool area has a fence with a self-closing latch
• Invest in a pool alarm or pool cover
• Remove all toys from the pool when swim time is over
• If you have an above ground pool, remove the ladder when swim time is over
• Dump water in wading pools after swim time is over

What you should know…
When it comes to pools in your backyard, insurance companies will require the pools to have proper safety equipment and generally require they be located in a fenced backyard.  Additionally, if you have a pool it is important to purchase a personal excess liability policy (or Umbrella Insurance) so that if someone is injured or heaven forbid drowns in your pool, you are protected should the family of the injured child file a lawsuit against you.

At Advocate Brokerage, we believe in educating each client we serve.  Our job is to provide awareness and information so that you can make informed decisions when it comes to creating your personal insurance portfolio. If your home has a pool or you are considering having one installed in your backyard, give us a call at 914-723-7100, we would love to speak to you and answer any questions you may have.