Safer Waters

Marie and Philip Atallah took every precaution so their child would not drown.

Or so they thought.

Neither swimming lessons, a sliding glass door alarm, a fence around the pool, nor scary stories about the pool being a “monster that would eat him up” saved 3-year-old Joseph on that June day.

The glass door was open just enough to let the boy squeeze out, the gardener had left the gate open, and Joseph tripped into the pool while his mother was in the house, answering the phone.

He died in minutes.

It is a tragedy the couple can barely speak about nearly two months later.

“We were overprotective,” said Philip Atallah, his voice breaking. “But we are human. A second can pass, and what happened can happen. If you really want to protect your children, don’t have a pool.”

Southern California continues to lead the nation in drowning deaths, Capt. Scott Brown of the Orange County Fire Authority said. It is the leading cause of death by injury for children younger than 5 in the county and state.

But this year, there is some good news in the statistics. So far, the total number of drownings in the county has decreased more than twofold, Brown said.

Last year, from January to August, 16 people drowned, almost all of them younger than 8. This year, during the same period, seven people have drowned, four of them children.

While the figures are encouraging, Brown said, he is not ready to declare victory. He worries especially about the upcoming Labor Day, a time he calls “drowning machine weekend.”

“This will continue to be an ongoing issue,” Brown said. “The first line of defense is supervision, and we need to keep working with that.”

Drowning is called the “silent killer” because its victims are rarely heard as they slip into the pool and die within minutes.

Cindy Minardi of Huntington Beach heard nothing.

By the time she reached her 2-year-old, he was floating, eyes open, face blue in a family member’s hot tub.

Minardi had tried to prevent this, teaching her five children how to swim, keeping a vigilant eye on the toddlers. But here she was, giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to her son Aaron praying harder than she had ever prayed, because she turned her attention away for a few minutes.

Her prayers were answered, and her son eventually coughed up the water.

“I was spared the worst tragedy of all. Knowing that his death was caused as a result of my negligence would have torn me apart,” Minardi said. “I want to do what I can to prevent anyone from going through this nightmare. It’s one of those things that could have been prevented if more measures had been taken.”

Health experts warn that there is no substitute for vigilance.

This year, a 3-year-old was left alone while he was visiting family friends in Santa Ana, police said. He fell into a murky green patio pool and was found hours later, police said.

In Yorba Linda, a 20-month-old died at his grandparents’ house when he fell into an unfenced pool, authorities said. He had been missing for about five minutes when his relatives found him.

Prevention devices such as floaties, fences and alarms give a false sense of security to the child and the parents, said Mary Marlin, community education manager for the Orange County Children’s Hospital. Some children, Marlin said, have nearly drowned after biting their floaties and sinking to the bottom of the pool.

In March of this year, health care officials and the Fire Authority initiated a “Blue Alert” campaign to educate parents, including billboards and a 60-second video shown to parents who take safety and cardiopulmonary resuscitation classes.

“I think,” Brown said, “that we have raised awareness in being relentless with the safety message.”

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Drownings Decline

Since January, fewer near-drownings and drownings in Orange County have been reported than last year. A look at the trend and some pool safety tips:

Comparing Totals

Reported incidents from January to August, compared with last year:

1996

Total: 36

* 16 drowning victims, all but one under age 8

* Majority of 20 near-drownings under age 8

1997

Total: 23

* Seven victims, four under age 5

* 16 near-drownings, 13 under age 8

Promising Trend

If the trend holds, Orange County could have its lowest number of drownings in five years:

1993: 21

1994: 10

1995: 10

1996: 16

1997: 7*

* For January through August

Staying Safe

* Make sure all safety barriers are in place and in working order

* Keep cordless phone near pool for emergency use

* Designate someone to watch pool/spa whenever children are present

* Know infant/child CPR; make sure others watching children know rescue procedures

* Keep life-saving ring and shepherd’s hook near pool

* Check pool first when child is missing

* Remove toys from pool area when not in use

Source: Orange County Fire Authority, Children’s Hospital of Orange County and Times files