Montel Show about pool drains-WOW! OFFTOPIC

[DreaminofDisney06]

This family was on their dream vacation in Cancun and their 14 yr. old son drowned after being caught/stuck in the pool drain. Montel said this was like the 5th show he had done where incidents in Mexico of children drowning from pool drain issues. Now, I"m terrified about pools at resorts. Mind you, this was in Cancun, not US but it is scary. Hopefully, the standards/guidelines, requirements in the US with inspections are done to a tee. This was just such a tragic episode...................

 

[LukenDC]

I have never heard of someone being accidentally drowned by a pool drain. Millions of people enjoy pools each year, so this phenomenon must be exceedingly rare. Disney pools are well-maintained and not very deep, so I doubt that there is much of a danger at WDW.

I remember reading that the late actor James Dean was allegedly hazed at a UCLA fraternity. As part of the initiation, he had to lay on the bottom of a pool as the drain was opened. The suction pulled his body over the drain and he nearly drowned.

 

[DisneyFanatik]

This family was on their dream vacation in Cancun and their 14 yr. old son drowned after being caught/stuck in the pool drain. Montel said this was like the 5th show he had done where incidents in Mexico of children drowning from pool drain issues. Now, I"m terrified about pools at resorts. Mind you, this was in Cancun, not US but it is scary. Hopefully, the standards/guidelines, requirements in the US with inspections are done to a tee. This was just such a tragic episode...................

I just watched it too. I sat on my couch and cried to whole time that they were telling the story. I have a 13 yo son, so it hit home for me. I am always so worried about my ds(7) when we are in a pool. I never think twice about my ds(13). I guess it shows how careful you have to be. Not that this family did anything wrong or anything that I wouldn't do. The water that the kid was in was not even 4 ft.!!! Montel's comments about other countries not having the same safety and inspection requirements as we do here in the U.S. made me feel that it is probably not as common here. It is such a shame. My thoughts and prayers go out to that family.

 

[CathrynRose]

How terribly sad!

 

[sixcats]

I've heard of the drain being even more of a hazard in hot tubs. It drives me crazy when I see a kid go under water in one.

 

[Jennifer S]

Did it say which resort? I'm taking my two boys in June to Mexico. I will def. watch them like a hawk now.

 

[Tiggeroo]

several years ago a local girl drowned at an after prom event in a hottub

 

[gidge]

Several years ago there was a story about a small child sucked fast to a filter and it pulled his intestines out.........so gruesome it scaired me to death....always watch your children!!!!

 

[RitaZ.]

I have heard of similar accidents in the past. There was one such accident in a hotel's pool (here in S. FL) where the boy's bottom was stuck to the pool's drain. The force of the pump was so great that his intestines were suctioned out of his body, the boy died as a result.

 

[ChristmasElf]

Florida pool builders now put two seperate drains in to prevent this from ever happening again. I believe the change to 2 seperate drains has been in effect for a few years now.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Old news...Montel is right. It happens all over, not just Mexico. Alot of the accidents in pools occur in hotel pools that are not properly maintained.

With my children we had the "stay away from the pool drain" discussion.

 

[mcnuss]

I have never heard of someone being accidentally drowned by a pool drain. Millions of people enjoy pools each year, so this phenomenon must be exceedingly rare. Disney pools are well-maintained and not very deep, so I doubt that there is much of a danger at WDW.

Just bc you've never heard of it, it must be rare? There are probably 100's of accidents involving pool drains every year, not all of them so horrific obviously as this one. The big companies and hotel chains spend millions of dollars to settle claims so that you don't hear about them. As a percentage of total pool users, this is a small number, but tell that to the mom whose kid's intestines got sucked out, or the one whose long hair got sucked in the drain and she drowned.

Actually, remember former VP candidate John Edwards, the one that the conservatives tarred as a greedy trial lawyer? Well, his biggest win was against a pool company which could have prevented many deaths/injuries in its pools by installing a cheap part (maybe it was a 50 cent part?) which would have somehow mitigated the suction force of the drain.

 

[pixiemomma]

several years ago a local girl drowned at an after prom event in a hottub

I remember that! It was a very big story in the Philadelphia area. I think her hair was caught in the drain and her friends couldn't dislodge her, correct?

 

[Feralpeg]

Spa tubs can also be very dangerous. I've heard of several cases where children with long hair got it caught in the tub jets and ended up drowning.

 

[American Scrapper]

I missed the episode, but I believe it is the family from Illinois. My cousin knew the family, what a terrible tragedy. From what I have heard, Mexico hotels are not required to have their drain covers checked. In this case, the pool drain went out towards the ocean and the boy was found the next morning. This happened a couple of years ago now & the family is fighting to change to laws. There was an article in the paper not to long ago on how they are doing now & basically they are just trying to cope & go on with life.