Child drownings prompt pool safety warning

Since May 10, eight children in Santa Clara County have been treated for drowning, and three of these young victims have died as a result of their injuries—including a 2-year-old Morgan Hill resident.

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The rash of drownings prompted authorities to issue a safety advisory to parents as the peak of summer approaches.

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Three of the recent drowning incidents occurred on June 23, according to the county’s June 28 advisory. All three were treated at the Emergency Department of Santa Clara Valley Medical Center.

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Two of these children died as a result of drowning. One was pronounced dead shortly after being admitted to the hospital. The Santa Clara County Coroner’s Office identified her as Audrey Sorrentino, age 2, of Morgan Hill.

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While one of the other victims was in critical condition as of June 28, a county health system spokeswoman said July 2 that this child had also died.

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The third June 23 victim was discharged after treatment, according to county staff.

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From May 10 to June 9, five children were admitted to the hospital for drowning. One of these children also died, and the others were treated and released, according to county authorities. The eight drowning victims range from 18 months to 11 years old, with five of them younger than 4.

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As the weather warms up and more children are in and around the water, authorities are urging parents to do all they can to prevent drowning incidents and ensure their children are safe. Nationwide, from Memorial Day through Labor Day 2017, more than 160 children younger than 15 drowned in swimming pools or spas. Of these reports, 112 of the victims were younger than 5 years old.

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“Parents, families, caregivers and other adults need to be aware of the risks and what steps to take to help reduce these preventable deaths and injuries,” reads the county’s notice.

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The “Pool Safely” campaign, a national public education effort run by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, provides information on simple steps that parents, caregivers and pool owners can take to promote safety around pools and spas.

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These steps include:

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•  Install a four-sided fence with a self-closing, self-latching gate around all pools and spas;

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•  Designate an adult “water watcher” to supervise children at all times around the water;

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•  Learn how to swim and teach your child how to swim;

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•  Learn how to perform CPR on children and adults;

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•  Teach children to stay away from pool drains, pipes and other openings to avoid entrapments.

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• Ensure that any pool or spa used by children has drain covers that comply with federal safety standards. If you do not know, ask your pool service provider about safer drain covers.

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Children ages 1-4 have the highest drowning rates, according to county authorities. Most of these drownings occur in home swimming pools.

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More than 50 percent of drowning victims treated in emergency rooms need hospitalization or transfer for further care, the press release adds. These nonfatal drowning injuries can cause severe brain damage that may result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities and permanent loss of basic functioning.

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Morgan Hill Police Sgt. Troy Hoefling confirmed that officers responded to the June 23 drowning incident at a residence in Morgan Hill. Hoefling hesitated to release details of this incident out of respect for the child’s family, but he said officers do not suspect foul play and don’t think the death was in any way criminal.

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“It’s a tragic situation,” Hoefling said.

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Morgan Hill police and other local police departments work with the coroner’s office on the Santa Clara County Child Death Review Team, which investigates child deaths reported to the medical examiner/coroner’s office.

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The team’s goal is to determine ways to prevent future injuries and death, improve responses to the needs of children and improve interagency collaboration, according to the coroner’s website.

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On the death review team are more than 40 members representing various county offices, law enforcement agencies, healthcare professionals, social services, nonprofits, emergency services, district attorney’s office, educators and childcare providers.