The pool was not deep, apparently, as the water levels were not above the girl’s head. However, a pool cover was only partly on the pool and it appeared she may have gotten tangled in the cover.
Some conflicting information was provided about whether or not the girl was alone while swimming. She was apparently found by adults alone in the pool but nearby children were observed to be wet and in their underpants and it was inferred they’d been swimming.
It’s too soon and too little is known to form a belief about this particular incident but it bears repeating that children cannot be left alone in or near pools. This child is alive and hopefully she will fully recover. But these accidents happen too often and their results are often tragic. As adults, don’t we know better than to leave a child alone in or near a swimming pool? Don’t we know that there are door alarms and barriers and other pool safety equipment available to provide additional layers of protection so that these tragedies are avoided?
I don’t know enough to blame anyone in this particular incident but as an Erie swimming pool lawyer I’ve certainly seen enough other instances where swimming pool tragedy could have been avoided by adults who were in a position to help and who knew enough to help but who failed to help through inattention, laziness or an inexcusable dismissiveness of the dangers of these pools.
I’m going to find some pool safety guides and publish them in our articles section. I’ll follow up with a blog linking the materials for your review.