The Silent Killer In Your Backyard

Authorities Stress Safety With Families With Backyard Swimming Pools

Los Angeles, CA (May 27, 2008) – Again this summer, the tragedy of drowning incidents are in the spotlight as water safety experts promote ways to help reduce child drowning incidents and near-drowning accidents in residential backyard swimming pools – known by water safety advocates as “the silent killer,” according to Todd Appleman, an advocate for water safety public education campaigns.

Already this year, more than 75 children have drowned in backyard pools in the five states that have the highest number of drowning incidents: Florida, California, Arizona, Texas, and New York.

sAccording to The Centers for Disease Control, the incidents of drowning among children aged 1-5 averages nearly 500 per year, making drowning in backyard swimming pools the highest cause of accidental death for young Toddlers. Thousands more suffer permanent brain damage in near-drowning incidents.

“Drowning in swimming pools has reached an epidemic level,” said Todd Appleman, president of eSafetyAlert.com. “We recommend that parents remain constantly vigilant when their children are near a pool or other water hazard. Secondly, we recommend fences, a pool alarm, gate alarms, and self-closing gates. Each of these adds a ‘layer of protection.’”

Mr. Appleman sells the Safety Turtle pool alarm (http://www.eSafetyAlert.com), considered the “gold standard” among the pool alarms. The Safety Turtle system includes a Base Station receiver which monitors any number of wristbands which are worn on children’s wrist with a childproof strap which is locked on to the child’s wrist. In the event that the child falls into the pool, a piercing alarm sounds the instant the child falls into the water.

New this year, eSafetyAlert.com offers the Safety Turtle wireless gate alarm which sounds a siren the moment the child opens the pool gate. Both systems alert parents and other adults that the child is in danger – first as the gate is opened and second if the child falls into the water.

“Safety Turtle provides a vital warning the moment the child falls into the water, thus minimizing the seconds that the child is submerged underwater,” said Mr. Appleman. “The perception that parents would hear a child drowning is a myth. In fact, drowning is considered a ‘silent death.’ Research has shown that children slip under water when adults are often only a few feet away. This is why an adult must be vigilant whenever children are near water.”

Mr. Appleman adds, “Almost all of these accidents can be prevented if safety precautions, such as using pool nets, installing fencing that meets ASTM codes, installing self-closing gates with alarms, installing a pool alarm, and most importantly, always ensuring active adult supervision. All of these layers reduce the risk, but the weakest link is when children are not being watched at all times. This is the message that we must repeat year-after-year.”

For addsitional information, visit www.eSafetyAlert.com. Swimming lessons offered by local community pools, YMCA’s, and The American Red Cross, are also important steps parents can pursue to “water proof” their children. s