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Article appearing in SF Chronicle

Antioch toddler drowns in swimming pool
- Bay City News
Tuesday, June 30, 2004


A 2-year-old girl drowned Sunday in a swimming pool at her home in Antioch, a Contra Costa County Deputy Coroner said today.

Jai Blackwell led herself to the backyard that afternoon without her parent's realizing it, according to police. She opened a gate that surrounds the pool by putting a chair up to it and reaching around to unlatch it, Antioch Police Sgt. Mike Schneider said today.

"The parents took every precaution they could think of,'' Schneider said. "What else could they have done short of not having a pool?''

Paramedics "scooped'' Blackwell out of the pool around 3:26 p.m. and rushed her to Sutter Delta Medical Center but were not able to revive the toddler.

Contra Costa County Health Services officials warned in a report released today that drowning is the leading cause of death, disability and injury for children under 5 years old.

A child can drown in the time it takes to answer the phone and should never be left alone near any body of water, including wading pools, even for a few seconds, according to the report.

Swimming lessons, although important, do not ensure safety, and studies show that about 25 percent of all young drowning victims have had lessons, according to Nadina Riggsbee, a spokeswoman for the Drowning Prevention Foundation.

Children who fall into the water unexpectedly have a tendency to panic and forget their swimming skills, Riggsbee indicated.

Officials suggest that at large gatherings, one adult should be designated to supervise kids playing in or near the water.

All non-swimmers should wear certified life jackets when they are near water and all children and adults should wear them when riding in a small watercraft, according to the report.

Drowning prevention officials also warn that children and teens should not swim in Delta canals and waterways because unpredictable undercurrents make it dangerous.

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