|
June
26 —
It can happen so quickly. Tragically, it did happen last
week at the home of rock star Tommy Lee when a 4-year-old
boy accidentally drowned at a swim party in a backyard
pool. All it takes is a second for a child to go under
while swimming or fall into the water from the side of the
pool. That’s where a device called a pool alarm may
help. It’s supposed to keep a fall from becoming fatal
by literally sounding the alarm if a youngster slips into
a pool. Which one might best protect your child? Chief
Consumer Correspondent Lea Thompson reports.
IT
MAY BE the last suburban oasis — a private swimming pool
in your own backyard. But more than 350 children drown
each year in private pools. It’s the fourth-leading
cause of death for children under five. “Another 6,500
are treated for near-drowning accidents,” says the Good
Housekeeping Institute’s Don Mays. He and other experts
recommend homeowners buy a pool alarm that will be set off
by ripples caused when a child falls in.
But
if you’re thinking of buying one, just which ones work?
Mays and an Institute engineer showed “Dateline” how
they evaluated several alarms costing around $200. They
dropped a weight the size of an average one-year-old, 18
pounds, into a pool. They did it from two locations, one
16 feet from the alarm and one 24 feet.
First
up, “The Pool Guard.” Close up and far away, the
Institute found it was 100 percent reliable and the
above-ground pool model was just as effective.
Next
came the “Pool S.O.S.” It worked fine from close up.
But far away, it really took a dive, ringing only 30
percent of the time. The maker of the “Pool SOS” says
there is no reason the alarm should not work well from
either location.
Next,
the Institute tested the alarm named “The Pool Eye.”
The Institute found it kept its eye on too much — even
the weakest breeze. “If a pool alarm false alarms too
often, parents will be apt to either not pay attention to
it, or else turn it off to avoid the nuisance factor,”
says Mays. In contrast, “The Pool Eye” for the
aboveground pool wasn’t sensitive enough.
Then
there was “The Pool Patrol.” It was OK from the close
distance. But from 24 feet away, it never worked.
So
we tried “Pool Patrol” with a real live 3-year-old —
Justin. At 32 pounds, still nothing. So we wondered what
would it take? Would “The Pool Patrol” patrol a giant?
What about this giant — New York Giant number 77, Luke
Petitgout. He weighs 315 pounds — just about 10 times
more than Justin. Finally, it worked!
“Pool
Eye” and “Pool Patrol” tell “Dateline” that the
sensitivity of their alarms can be set according to
individual pool size. However, “Pool Patrol” says it
plans to change its alarm’s sensitivity to meet new
standards due later this summer.
Good
Housekeeping also looked at the “Prevent Laser
Perimeter,” a laser beam that surrounds the pool and
rings when a child breaks the beam. It was always
reliable, but at $600, far more expensive than the other
pool alarms.
But
no alarm is fail-safe. The best safeguard may be the least
high-tech of all. “A pool alarm is no substitute for
good parental vigilance, watching your child at all
times,” says Mays.
Safety
experts also say to make sure you have a strong fence
around the pool with a good lock on the gate so that young
children can’t wander in.
Source:
www.dateline.msnbc.com
|
