At least four children have died after drowning in children’s pools across the country over the past month, police said Wednesday, raising concerns about child safety in the knee-deep swimming facilities.
An elementary school boy died in a kiddie pool with a water depth of only 37 centimeters on the East Sea island of Ulleung on Tuesday after getting his arm stuck in the water intake, according to police.
The boy was unable to escape due to high water pressure in the pump, and rescue workers were also unable to rescue him easily for the same reason, they said, adding there were no safety personnel at the pool at the time of the accident. The boy was reportedly on vacation with his family.
On July 23, a two-year-old girl drowned in a 67-centimeter-deep swimming pool in Incheon, 27 kilometers west of Seoul. The pool run by a kids cafe has been in the blind spot of administrative control as it is not regulated by the current law on children’s facility safety, police said.
On July 6, a 20-month-old baby drowned in an 80-centimeter-deep pool at a pool villa pension in Gapyeong, 50 km northeast of Seoul. The baby reportedly entered the pool without any equipment, such as a life jacket.
In addition, a 3-year-old child drowned at a pension pool in Yeongwol, Gangwon Province, about 200 km east of Seoul, on Tuesday, while a 6-year-old has been in critical condition after almost drowning in a pension pool in Chuncheon, 76 km northeast of the capital, on July 27.
Source: Yonhap News Agency