Child drowning mostly due to lax care

MADRID
THE “vast majority” of drowning tragedies involving children aged between 1 and 9 happen in private swimming pools due to carers being over confident about safety, said Francisco Canes, President of the National Accident Victims Association yesterday.

Canes explained that on beaches and in public swimming pools, there are professional lifeguards on duty who are constantly on the alert. The problem lies in environments where there is a private pool in a holiday home or on a country estate where there is no “permanent lookout.” Also dangerous, he added, are portable paddling pools in which, although there might be just a little water, children can still drown.