Personal Injury Law

13-Year-Old Nearly Drowns in Falmouth Swimming Pool Accident at Holiday Inn

By Altman & Altman

CPR was performed on a 13-year-old boy on Monday night at the Holiday Inn on Jones Road in Falmouth. The boy nearly drowned while in the hotel pool.

Now that summer is here, the number of drowning and near drowning incidents for the year will undoubtedly go up. It is important that pool owners and supervisors, both of residential and private pools and hot tubs, make sure that the proper safety measures are in place to prevent Massachusetts drowning accidents from happening.

Just this Saturday, 2-year-old twins died in a Lynnfield drowning accident in their own pool. Veronica and Angelina Andreottola appear to have fallen into the water because a retractable cover was not completely covering the pool. Police say the toddlers may have pushed the button for the cover. Their death comes just weeks after state Representative Robert J. Nyman died from an accidental drowning in his own backyard pool.

Pool owners can be held liable for Boston personal injury or wrongful death if their negligence allowed another party to drown, nearly drown, slip and fall, or injure themselves in any other way in or around a pool or a whirlpool. Kids and adults that don?t know how to swim or are prone to certain health complications are at risk of drowning. Adequate supervision, such as lifeguards or an adult that knows how to swim and perform CPR, proper lighting, making sure the pool is clear of debris so that anyone drowning at the bottom can be easily detected, and placing rescue equipment in the pool area are just some of the steps that a property owner can take to decrease the chances that a Boston pool drowning accident will happen. Installing retractable covers, pool fences, and secured gates around the pool area can help.

CPR performed on 13-year-old near drowning victim at Falmouth hotel pool, CapeCodToday, July 20, 2010

Surveillance tape looked at in twins' drowning, WHDH, July 20, 2010

Legislator?s autopsy determines death was accidental drowning, Boston.com, June 28, 2010

Related Web Resources:
CPSC Warns Backyard Pool Drownings Happen "Quickly and Silently", CPSC

Drowning Facts, YMCA

Unintentional Drowning: Fact Sheet, CDC

Full post as published by Boston Injury Lawyer Blog on July 21, 2010 (boomark / email).