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in collaboration with
Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director of Doctissimo)
Medical validation:
August 09, 2022
Last Saturday, an eight-year-old girl drowned in a camping pool in Les Sables-d’Olonne. Her hair got stuck in a drain at the bottom of the pool.
It is a real drama that took place this Saturday. According to the daily Ouest-France, a young girl died of drowning in the swimming pool of the campsite in Les Sables-d’Olonne. Firefighters were unable to resuscitate her.
The girl died on the spot
The plug, this hole in the bottom of the pool through which water can be sucked, caused the death of the young woman.
” She got her hair caught in a game suction grid, a mushroom that was in the middle of the pool », Explains to the daily Franck Chadeau, president of the Chadotel campsites, of which La Dune des Sables is a part. ” The swimming pool has been there for 25 years, it had never happened “, he specifies.
A lifeguard and another swimmer tried, in vain, to rescue the young Dutch girl. The firefighters and the Samu, who arrived from Nantes by helicopter, also went to the site. Unfortunately, the little girl died on the spot.
The lifeguard, in shock, was taken care of psychologically. An investigation has also been opened.
Drowning is the leading cause of death among young people
Every year, accidental drownings are responsible for multiple deaths. In 2021 alone, during the summer, nearly 1,500 drownings were recorded, of which 400 turned out to be fatal.
A scourge among those under 25, for whom drowning represents the ” first cause of death by accident of everyday life “, Specifies the High Authority for Health (HAS).
Among the youngest (under 6 years old), these incidents generally occur in private swimming pools, while for older children, drownings mainly take place in the natural environment (sea, river, body of water).
In general, drownings in toddlers result from a relaxation of supervision on the part of responsible adults during swimming, and this, “especially since the child does not know how to swim or may have a reaction not suitable, ”recalls the High Authority for Health.
” Never leave a child unsupervised. Around a swimming pool, a lake or the sea, setting up a “MAN” (the equivalent of SAM in the evening), an anti-drowning master in charge of constantly monitoring children can be a good option. “says Dr. Kierzek.
Swimming pools must be equipped with a safety device
To prevent the risk of drowning, especially of young children, private or public swimming pools must now be equipped with a safety device. It must include at least one of the following equipment:
- a protective barrier;
- an audible alarm system (informing of the fall of a child in the water or perimeter alarm informing of the approach of a child to the pool);
- a security blanket (tarpaulin);
- a veranda-type shelter that completely covers the pool;
The other types of swimming pool (placed on the ground, inflatable or removable) are not concerned.