Letters to the Editor: Laws requiring isolation fencing around pools would save young lives
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- Letters from Irvine pediatric and disability advocates urge stronger pool safety laws, warning that a brief lapse in supervision should never cost a child’s life or leave families unprotected.
- One letter calls for mandatory four-sided isolation fencing and Coast Guard-approved life jackets at all pools, noting California’s progress on unsafe-flotation bans and Irvine’s life jacket exchange program.
- Another writer warns that children with autism drown at far higher rates, urging tailored swim lessons and state-funded programs so Southern California families can access specialized water safety training.
To the editor: Thank you for the recent article raising awareness about preventing childhood drowning and the need for stronger prevention strategies (“A child can drown in seconds. Doctors want more families to be prepared,” July 4). A brief lapse in supervision should never result in the death of a child.
For children ages 1 to 4, two interventions should be considered essential supervision tools. First, every residential pool where a young child lives or visits should be protected by a professionally installed four-sided isolation fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate, meeting the Consumer Product Safety Commission guidelines. Second, young children and unskilled swimmers should wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket whenever they are in or around any body of water.
California has made progress: Assembly Bill 2146, which took effect this year, prohibits the sale and distribution of non-U.S. Coast Guard-approved flotation devices. But California law still does not require four-sided isolation fencing, despite strong evidence that it prevents drownings (it is only an option for residential pools).
Irvine’s Floatie Exchange Program, launched under Mayor Larry Agran (my husband), offers another model by encouraging families to replace unsafe floaties with Coast Guard-approved life jackets.
Requiring isolation fencing statewide and expanding programs such as Irvine’s would save young lives.
Phyllis Agran, Irvine
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To the editor: The article raising awareness about preventing childhood drowning covers critical interventions that can prevent tragedies. But it fails to address the water-safety needs of children with disabilities.
An Australian study found that children with autistic spectrum disorders drown at three times the rate of their peers without such disorders. These children may be drawn to water in pools or in water retention areas after a storm and their tendency to wander places them at particular risk.
Swim lessons tailored to children with autism can help build skills and awareness of water safety. Parents of Southern California Regional Center clients should speak to their consumer services coordinators about state funding that may make such swimming lessons free for their child.
Marc Lerner, Irvine
