Recent Close Call Drownings At San Jose Pool Prompt Safety Warning
SAN JOSE (KCBS) - Two near drownings at a San Jose pool this week became a stark reminder that summer time fun can be dangerous.
A 44-year-old man and his 6-year-old daughter survived a close call at a West San Jose apartment complex on Wednesday thanks to the quick actions of neighbors who pulled them from the water and administered CPR.
Capt. Mary Gutierrez with the San Jose Fire Department said dispatchers are always ready to walk someone through the steps of doing chest compressions and ventilations.
KCBS' Mike Colgan Reports:
"But if you already have that skill, in that panic time you'll need less of that coaching and you'll be more effective," she said.
The Fire Department typically responds to at least one drowning or near drowning a month during the summer, often at outdoor parties where there are a lot of people around.
"You figure there's a lot of people, it's better. But it's often not. It's more chaotic and it's hard to focus your attention on your child or those you're supposed to supervise," she said.
Gutierrez pointed to a 2009 study published in the Archive of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine that shows swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent among children ages 1 to 4.
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