A 9-year-old girl has died in a Los Angeles County swimming pool accident after she drowned in a backyard pool in Arcadia, California. According to a news report in the Pasadena Star-News, the swimming pool accident occurred the afternoon of July 20, 2009 when she and other children were playing in the backyard pool. Officials say the girl, who has not been identified, was a visitor at the home. She was found underwater in the deep end. One of the children tried to rescue her before a homeowner jumped in to pull her out, Arcadia police said. The homeowners had initiated CPR when police arrived. The girl was transported to an area hospital, but was taken off life support and died a day after the accident.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of this little girl for their tragic, heartbreaking and untimely loss. I offer my deepest condolences. They will certainly be in my prayers.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in 2005, there were 3,582 fatal unintentional drownings in the United States averaging 10 deaths per day. More than one in four fatal drowning victims are children 14 and younger. For every child who dies from drowning, another four received emergency department medical care for nonfatal submersion injuries. Nonfatal drownings or near-drownings must not be taken lightly because they can cause serious brain injury and even permanent brain damage that could result in long-term disabilities such as memory problems, learning disabilities and permanent loss of basic functioning.

Based on this news report, it appears to me that there was a complete lack of adult supervision in this backyard pool. This could have resulted in another tragedy if something had happened to the other child who ventured to rescue the girl! It's indeed fortunate that it did not happen. Lack of supervision or inattention on the part of adults is the leading cause of child drownings in the United States. In this case, the girl was a visitor at the home. However, it's not clear whether the adults in charge were family members, friends, acquaintances or caregivers.

If a child drowns in your home, in your swimming pool, under your watch, then you could be held liable for the drowning or fatality. The Los Angeles personal injury lawyers at Bisnar | Chase handle many such cases each summer caused by negligence and inattention. It's extremely important that you follow safety measures if you are having a pool party, a gathering or even a play date by the pool. The most important safety measure you can take when children are playing in the water is non-stop supervision.

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