Terrifying Near-Drowning Scares Serve As Reminders

“Children drown without a sound. Drowning is a quiet event. There is no splashing, no screaming, and no noise at all.”

This grim reminder comes from Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department officials who on Saturday received calls on two separate near-drowning incidents involving very young children.

Paramedics rescued an 11-month-old girl who was found not breathing in a residential swimming pool around 9:45 a.m. in the 44-500 block of San Pasqual Avenue in Palm Desert, according to authorities.

Paramedics were called to the scene to treat the girl, who began breathing on her own.

The child was taken to a local hospital for observation, but no other details were released.

Additionally, a 4-year-old boy almost drowned in Perris Saturday in the 23500 block of Hawkeye Road.

The toddler, who was found in a Jacuzzi around 5:30 p.m., was breathing and had a pulse before rescuers arrived, according to officials. The boy was taken to a hospital and was reported to be in stable condition.

Child drownings are 100 percent preventable, according to Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department officials who offer these reminders:

• Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional or accidental injury-related death to children ages 1-4 years old in Riverside County.

• Over 80 percent of all drowning and near-drowning incidents occur in backyard pools.

• A submerged child can lose consciousness in less than 2 minutes -- the time it takes to answer a phone -- and sustain permanent brain damage in only 4 to 6 minutes.

• Children under the age of 5 have no fear of water and no concept of death. Water is associated with play.

• It takes very little water for a child to drown: less than one inch is all it takes to cover the mouth and nose of a toddler.

• July is the busiest month for drowning related 9-1-1 calls.

• Nationwide, most children that drown are boys, and the vast majority of deaths occur in backyard pools.

To keep children safe around water, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department urges adult supervision at all times and reminds property owners to install barriers around pools and water sources. Additionally, officials stress that parents and caregivers should take CPR and first-aid courses, as well as swimming classes that are available for both children and adults. --City News Service contributed to this report.