Report Summary
Consumer purchased a quick set up pool. He found his 3 YOF child face down in the pool. After giving CPR he got her breathing again. There was a strap on the side of the pool to hold the bars against the side of the pool. The child grabbed a bar & stepped up on that strap.
Product Details
- Product Description: Intex 15' x 48" Metal Frame pool
- Manufacturer/Importer/Private Labeler Name: Intex Recreation Corp.
- Brand Name: Intex
- Model Name or Number: 56945EG
- Serial Number:
- UPC Code: 078257316342
- SKU#:
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Date Manufactured:
- Retailer: Toys R Us
- Retailer State:
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Purchase Date:
6/8/2012
- Product Category: Sports and Recreation
- Product Type: Pools & Water Sports
- Product Code: Portable Swimming Pools (5043)
Incident Details
- Incident Description: On June 8th, 2012 My husband and I purchased one of those quick set up pools made by Intex Corporation. It was one of those pool kits that had everything included. It was a 15' x 48" pool. We purchased it from Toys R Us. We planned on using the pool to teach our 3 year old daughter how to swim. Our 10 year old son had taken lessons at school and was a very good swimmer. We had discussed with our kids about safety around the pool. At least as best we could with a 3 year old. No one was to be in the pool alone or without an adult, the ladder was to be put away from the pool when not in use, we had alarms on the doors and a fence around our yard. The pool was also to tall for our 3 year old to reach up and climb in. Or so we thought. On June 21st, before we had gotten the pool ready to swim in, my husband found our 3 year old daughter face down in the pool. She had just been with my mother and I in the house not more that 10 minutes before and either slipped out the door with out me hearing the alarm or someone had left a door open. Luckily my husband was outside and found her in the pool soon after she had somehow fell in. After giving her CPR and getting a lot of the water out of her he got her breathing again. We called 911 and went to the ER and spent the night in the hospital. We were lucky. Two days after coming home from the hospital the pool came down. However, just before taking it down our daughter showed us how she got into the pool. Even though the pool was taller than her she found a way. There is a strap about a quarter of the way up the side of the pool to hold the bars against the side of the pool. She grabbed a bar and stepped up on that strap then grabbed the top of the pool. She then walked up the side of the liner with her bare feet and pulled herself into the pool. I don't think she intended to go all the way in but she fell in when she leaned over the top bar. We were amazed at the strength she had to pull herself up the side of that pool.
Here are my concerns with these pools: These pools pop up all over and I have noticed that a lot of them are in unfenced yards. I've even noticed a few in front yards. We had our yard fenced in but didn't even think about fencing in the actual pool because we didn't think our daughter could climb into it. Plus, we were looking into an inexpensive way to have a pool in our yard (probably like most people that buy these pools). If I would have been told to put a fence around the actual pool I wouldn't have purchased it. You can buy these pools anywhere. We bought ours at Toys R Us but I have seen them at hardware stores, grocery stores, pharmacies and convenience stores. You won't get any information until you get the pool home and open the box at which point you now cannot return the pool. I think most people are looking for an inexpensive way to get a swimming pool, not a little wading pool, that even an adult can use to cool off in the summer. I've been told that if you spend a lot of money on one of those large metal pools or an inground pool someone from the company that installs the pool will personally tell you what kind of safety measures you need for these pools. These small quick set up pools are stop and shop pools. The most you'll get is someone to carry it out to the car for you.
After my daughter almost drowned in the pool I went online and found that there are a lot of kids that are drowning in these types of pools. I have 4 older kids than my 3 year old daughter and this is the worst accident I have ever had with any of my children. I don't understand why there is no regulations on these pools. I guess I should have educated myself about these pools but I didn't feel they were that dangerous. I just figured it was the next step up from the kiddie pools and blow up pools we have owned. They just didn't seem as dangerous as the bigger metal pools or inground pools. If states required certain safety requirements like fences around the pool even if it is in your fenced in yard, alarms on doors and requiring any store that sold any pool deeper than a kiddie pool to provide safety and return information directly to the customer when they purchase the pool I think there would be a lot less of these pools sold and childrens lives would be saved. Right now I think people think these pools are a cheap alternative to the $10,000 and up larger pools.
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Incident Date:
6/21/2012
- Incident Location: Home/Apartment/Condominium
Victims Involved
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- Injury Information: Injury - Emergency Department Treatment Received
- My Relationship to the Victim: My Child
- Gender: Female
- Victim's Age When Incident Occurred: 3 years
Comments from the Manufacturer/Private Labeler
- Fortunately a tragic event was averted by a parent trained in CPR, which is one step in creating layers of protection around a pool. The greatest water safety assurance in swimming pools and spas comes from adopting and practicing as many water safety steps as possible. Adding that extra safety step in and around the water can make all the difference. You can never know which safety measure will save a life – until it does.
Water recreation is both fun and therapeutic. However, it involves inherent risks of injury and death. Drowning can happen quickly and silently. Continuous and competent adult supervision of children and the handicapped is required at all times. Common sense and layers of protection, including safety barriers, are essential for the safe enjoyment of any water environment. The pool itself should not be considered a safety barrier.
The warnings printed directly on our pool and included in the assembly instructions clearly state:
• USE ONLY UNDER COMPETENT SUPERVISION.
• POOL FENCING LAWS AFFECT THIS PRODUCT.
• NEVER LEAVE YOUNG CHILDREN UNATTENDED.
• SECURE ALL DOORS, WINDOWS AND SAFETY BARRIERS TO PREVENT UNATHORIZED, UNINTENTIONAL OR UNSUPERVISED POOL ENTRY.
• REMOVE ALL TOYS AND FLOATATION DEVICES FROM, IN AND AROUND THE POOL WHEN NOT IN USE.
• CONTINUOUS AND COMPETENT ADULT SUPERVISION OF CHILDREN IS REQUIRED AT ALL TIMES.
• INSTALL A BARRIER THAT WILL ELIMINATE ACCESS TO THE POOL FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
FAILURE TO FOLLOW THESE WARNINGS MAY RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH.
In addition to the printed warnings on the pool and in the instruction manual, our pools include an instructional DVD that opens with a 2 minute safety video that highlights best practices for safe pool use. This video can also be accessed on our website at: http://www.intexcorp.com/safety-info-video
The retail package for the pool contains the following statement in 5 locations: NOTICE: Your local building code may require a permit for this pool and may require childproof fencing. Please contact your local building department for more information about the applicable permitting and barrier requirements.
We checked with the reporter’s local building department website noting that a permit is required for the pool. The city’s ordinance states: “All private swimming pools in the city to be constructed or installed or which are already constructed or installed shall be enclosed by a fence which shall be at least four (4) feet in height and which shall be of a type not readily climbed by children.”
In speaking with the reporter, she stated that she did not bother looking at the safety video or reading the warnings included in our instruction manual. Always read the safety information included with any product.
Additional Details
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Submitter has product?:
Yes
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Product was damaged before incident?:
No
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Product was modified before incident?:
No
- If yes to any, explanation: We didn't know it but pools are not returnable at Toys R Us. We called the manufacturer. They said to call the store. The store said call the manufacturer.
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Have you contacted the manufacturer?:
Yes
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If Not, Do you plan to?:
- Report Number: 20120724-A6712-2147465404
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Report Date:
7/24/2012
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Sent to Manufacturer/Importer/Private Labeler:
8/9/2012
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Report First Publication Date:
8/23/2012
- Category of Submitter: Consumer
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