Common household item poses a drowning risk to young children: 'Always put the lid on'
By Merryn Porter |
A picnic or barbecue at home with family and friends rarely occurs without an esky full of ice to keep drinks chilled.
But now one of Australia's leading child safety educators has issued a warning to parents and carers about the dangers of eskies.
Tiny Hearts Education uploaded a video to its Instagram page this week highlighting the deadly hazard an esky can pose to young children, who can drown in the centimetres of water produced after ice melts.
Watch the video above.
The video starts with a distinctive blue and white 25-litre esky being carried into shot. Across the screen is written, "This is a drowning hazard."
The esky is placed on the grass and a bag of ice emptied inside.
"20 seconds and a few centimetres of water is all it takes for a toddler to drown," flashes across the screen.
The video then shows how quickly the ice begins to melt, forming a pool of water in the bottom of the esky.
"Always put the lid on when in use," is written across the screen. "And tip upside down when you're done." ?
The video was uploaded with the comment, "Keep the lid closed ?Tip it upside down when you're done ?Keep your little one safe ?."
Many commenters thanked Tiny Hearts Education for raising awareness of the danger.
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?"Great post! I love that some people have said that they didn't even think of these risks. Just goes to show your posts are making a positive impact," wrote one.
Others were sadly too aware of the risks.
"Literally happened to me the other day. Someone left the esky out the back open. My little one was trying to touch the water and fell face first into the esky. Luckily I was outside with her. Scared the life out of me and my daughter," said one.
"So true. My friend was a paramedic and had to go to a scene where a toddler drowned in an esky," wrote another.
"My brother nearly drowned in an esky. It had a bit of water in it and he was two. He leant over and as little ones are top heavy, he fell in and couldn't push himself out. I was only five, but my nan had to give him CPR and [an] ambulance came. Luckily he was OK but they are an easy drowning risk that people don't realise," said another.
"Have had a family lose their little one on his birthday like this. He went face down in a bucket of water. No one was around," was another comment.
Others pointed out the risk posed by other small bodies of water around the house.?
"Pet water bowls are also potential drowning hazard that people often don't think about. Carers can never be too careful when it comes to children and babies around water, any water," said one.
"Mop bucket in a house is a huge drowning risk too! I know a lady who lost a baby who fell in head first in a bucket of water while she was only a few metres away mopping her floors," said another.
"And people always ask me why I keep the toilet, bathroom and laundry shut up with twin toddlers," was another comment.
Another offered a good tip, writing, "Keep the drain plug open so water doesn't accumulate."
It is not the first time the alarm has been raised about eskies, with Queensland Health previously listing them among three unexpected drowning hazards found around the home, alongside pet bowls and buckets.
It said there were a few reasons they posed a threat, starting with the naturally curious nature of young children, who had often just started walking and exploring their environment.
"It's also a matter of physical development," Queensland Health said. "A toddler's head is heavier than the rest of their body, which means they can easily topple into a container they're exploring.
"Toddlers under four are less likely to struggle or cry out than older children, which means they can drown before anyone realises there's something wrong."
Queensland Health said Royal Life Saving Queensland catalogued a number of household water sources associated with drowning in its Home Water Safety fact sheet, including eskies.
It said to keep the following points in mind when using an esky.
- The ice will eventually melt into slushy water.
- It's going to see a lot of use at your party, and not everyone will secure the lid properly when they're done.
- Eskies are frequently stored at ground level, within easy reach of curious toddlers, but are often out of sight.
- Most social gatherings where you're breaking out the esky have a tendency to distract the adults in the immediate vicinity.
"That all adds up to a potentially hazardous combination for a toddler," Queensland Health said.
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