Baby Drowns Due To Faulty Automatic Drain Stopper
A six month old baby who was described as a “very cute happy little baby” was taken to the hospital from almost drowning in a bathtub on Thursday May 5, 2010. According to police reports, the mother left the infant unattended to check her e-mail for five minutes while the water was running.
Although the drain was left open, the automatic drain stopper apparently activated and the tub filled with water. After the mother found the baby under water, the mother grabbed the child, ran outside crying and yelled, “My baby drowned” until two workers came to her and one of them performed CPR on the baby. When the firefighters showed up at the apartment complex, the baby was still not breathing. The baby was then transported to Phoenix Children’s hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police officials have not stated whether or not the mother will face criminal charges.
Accidents like this one happen more often than they should. It takes a minute of carelessness to have your life changed forever. The family of this child cannot undo this accident, but hopefully parents will learn from this incident so the same tragic occurrence won’t happen to their family. This tragedy should be a wakeup call for parents who think that this type of accident could never happen to them. A child’s life should not be left to a piece of equipment. There are several ways that an accident like this could have been prevented. It is important that parents never leave their baby unattended so they are not left to face this emotional heartbreak.
For more information on child drowning accidents, visit the Solomon & Relihan Child Drowning information page.
