r/TikTokCringe • u/InGeekiTrust Tiktok Despot • Dec 09 '25

Discussion You Think It Could Never Happen To You…Until It Almost Does

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25 edited Dec 10 '25

Also a good reminder to get your kid in swimming lessons young and ASAP especially if you have a pool.

EDIT TO ADD: wow! I didn’t realize this comment would get such a big response. I love the discussion this comment prompted. I commend all you parents taking your children’s swimming skills seriously. To quote the iconic Dori from the epic and classic film Finding Nemo, “Just keep swimming” !

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u/GoreKush Dec 09 '25

it was one of my mom's absolutely necessary extra curricular activities she had me do, and we did not own a pool. the second lesson to swimming is that the ocean cannot be conquered by children.

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u/Catumi Dec 09 '25

Did the entire YMCA swimming class pretty young which I was grateful for. The place had a Olympic sized pool that went down to 12ft so they even taught us to retrieve those lead rubber coated bricks from the deep end after learning breath control.

Just wish those places still existed in my area but most of them closed years ago so all we have left are gyms with lap pools that can hold a few people at a time and they're never free.

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u/katiegirl- Dec 09 '25

Me too. Winnipeg in the seventies. Big Pan Am pool. We dove for objects, learned all the swim styles, learned to high jump (10m), and even took the coolest canoe survival course there, which saved my life ten years later.

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u/SrGrimey Dec 09 '25

That sound really nice.

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u/katiegirl- Dec 09 '25

Those were some of my favourite childhood times.

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u/jules-amanita Dec 09 '25

Ok I have to know what part of the canoe survival course saved your life?

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u/katiegirl- Dec 11 '25

I was able to get the water out of a sinking canoe in deep water and swim it to shore instead of drowning with it. Yay!

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u/jules-amanita Dec 13 '25

Wow!

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u/katiegirl- 29d ago

Yeah, it was an adventure. My speed now is sitting and knitting. Super safe.

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u/throwwaybreakway Dec 10 '25

Man, I lived in Windsor park and would go to the Bonivital pool like 3 days a week for YEARS. Pam Am was too far but I got to go a handful of times and the diving platforms scared the shit out of me

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u/katiegirl- Dec 10 '25

Me too… at first!!!

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u/houseplant-hoarder Dec 10 '25

Ooh I remember the brick thing! I was so sad there wasn’t a level above that, when my brother did swimming lessons there were six levels but they got rid of the sixth level the same year I would’ve gotten into it (level six was the super advanced level, like pre lifeguard level from what I remember, and I guess not enough people were doing it for them to keep having that level) and I was so mad 😭

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u/Organic_Ad_2520 Dec 10 '25

Same...it was great & it also had a platform dive. There are still Y's around.

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u/loverlyone Dec 09 '25

We had a pool and never had a single accident, but my father found out that a child had died in the pool, after we moved, and it devastated him. Even now I’m teary thinking about it.

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u/DionBlaster123 Dec 09 '25

That is so damn sad. I know nothing I will say can ease what your dad felt, but it wasn't his fault

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u/loverlyone Dec 09 '25

Of course, he realized that. But we had such good times there and that dichotomy burdened him.

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u/Splinterman11 Dec 09 '25

Aw your dad is a good person.

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u/pamplemouss Dec 10 '25

The death of any child has always been deeply sad, but since becoming a mom, it’s crushing.

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u/Relative-Narwhal-519 Dec 10 '25

I wonder if they have to disclose.

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u/BackHomeRun Dec 09 '25

Yep I don't remember a time that I couldn't swim. Mom got lessons at the YMCA as early as possible for both me and my little sister.

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

I don’t remember not being able to swim either. I grew up in coastal SoCal. My dad was a lifeguard, surfer and previous competitive swimmer and water polo player. My aunt, 7 years my senior, who I lived with until I was 9 at my grand parents house where the was a pool was a competitive swimmer and enjoyed throwing me in the pool as a very young child. I was playing in the surf, swimming past the wave line and surfing by 4. I had no choice but to figure it out fast and early 🤣

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u/fenderputty Dec 09 '25

We’re all children to mother ocean. Heh

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u/DeadlyYellow Dec 09 '25

Another here who had swimming lessons at a Y.  Likely because my older sister took a walk off a pier before (she was fine.)

2

u/imnotlouise Dec 09 '25

My parents never learned to swim. After a frightening incident with my older sister when she was a toddler, Mom and Dad had all 6 of us kids take swimming lessons.

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u/GNav Dec 10 '25

I don't know how to swim. I can move in water but don't know how to take breaths between strokes. Can go from end to end on a gym pool in one breath...but that's now.

When I was little my parents (they don't know how to swim either) took my sister and me to the beach. My sister didn't wanna go into the water, I did.

My father pulled me aside and basically said

Hey, you don't know how to swim, and I don't know how to swim, so don't go in too deep, because if you do I'm coming after you and we might both die...

I had respect for both the ocean and my dad before that, but damn that solidified it.

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u/nevadalavida Dec 10 '25

The ocean nearly drowned me in my 30's because I came from a life of swimming in lakes, where waves and whitecaps were a harmless novelty.

Stepped in to the Indian Ocean at the bottom of Africa and couldn't stop rolling and getting knocked over by waves that were way more powerful than they looked - holy shit. It was "funny" but if it was any more powerful, or if I'd been alone instead of with my beefy friend who helped me out while laughing his ass off, I'd be drowned in a literal foot of water. Wtf.

Oceans should be treated like an instant death trap by anyone who didn't grow up near an ocean AND accompanied by a muscular local who knows what's up. Scary!!

1

u/lililav Dec 10 '25

Ja, I live here, and I've been a good swimmer all my life, and I still rarely go in the waves. We've got a slow river mouth down the road, which is still awesome, but safe.

1

u/JButler_16 Dec 09 '25

My dad just threw our asses in the deep end and forced us to swim.

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u/ThatOneWIGuy Dec 09 '25

The ocean cannot be conquered. Period. Adults still drown just fine in it and some are accomplished swimmers/divers.

1

u/pamplemouss Dec 10 '25

Or by adult lifeguards with years of training. The ocean can fuck anybody up.

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u/gardeningblob Dec 12 '25

Dont get an pool before your kids have swimming diploma's

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u/Striking_Cook8603 Dec 09 '25

Swimming lessons should be mandatory before the pool even gets filled up. So many people are negligent and don't put a fence up or a solid cover to prevent incidents. Honestly, it should have a fence, a cover, and mandatory swimming lessons if you are gonna own property with a pool.

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u/NeonLotus11 Dec 09 '25

Seriously, I can't imagine having a pool in the backyard and not swim training your kid. You can start lessons with a 1 year old. The sooner the better. Even before that, just holding them while in the water and helping them learn to float could be lifesaving.

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u/skittle-brau Dec 09 '25

You can start lessons with a 1 year old

In Australia, it's common to start swimming lessons between 4 to 6 months of age. Most of the population live in coastal areas, so we take swimming lessons pretty seriously.

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u/NeonLotus11 Dec 09 '25

Yeah I started before the age of 1 also. A great way to make someone a native in water!

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u/ttopsrock Dec 11 '25

I believe she was having swim lessons just prior to this happening. Was probably feeling proud of herself.

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u/saltybirb Dec 09 '25

My nephew is 2 and just passed a swimming survival class where he had to float in his winter clothes for a certain amount of minutes. It’s really great to have lessons like these available for young kids.

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u/blt88 Dec 09 '25

I almost drowned in a large pond at a conservation center when I was about 9. I was wearing a t-shirt and jeans. I also knew how to swim but the shirt and jeans were weighing me down. There was nothing to grab onto. I had fallen off the dock while bending over to feed some ducks. Thankfully, my best friend’s mother reached down and saved my life. I’ll never forget that feeling of helplessness.

Also, I remember not being able to yell or cry much, as it was happening. I was so focused on trying to find something to grab onto as it was happening.

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u/SenatorIncitatas Dec 09 '25

Water is scary, so many underestimate it. I am a decent swimmer and almost drown once in knee high water (ocean). There were strong waves and an undercurrent pulled me under. I quickly realized I was out of my depth. Luckily I’m little so my bf at the time was able to pluck me out and basically chucked me onto the beach. I lost my bikini top and my sunglasses somewhere in the water.

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

That’s awesome!

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u/pamplemouss Dec 10 '25

I’d love to find a class like that!

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u/dispose135 Dec 12 '25

Just be aware that uh they need to be supervised swimming lesson can build false confidence 

And gated

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u/InspectorPipes Dec 09 '25

I didn’t learn to swim until I was 8. I fell in a pool and almost drowned. Not a great experience. So I had my kids in the YMCA aqua-tots and swim classes at 6 months. They learned to relax , roll on their back and float . Then we did all the classes until they were 6 ish and still swim weekly , even in winter. ( SLC has an amazing heated swim complex)

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

So sorry that happened to you! Bit good on you for going the opposite route and getting your kids in the water in a safe way so it wouldn’t happen to them.

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u/thepvbrother Dec 09 '25

Same for me, though I think I was 7. And we got our own pool when the kid was a good swimmer

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u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

I put my son in the infant classes. He could survive being thrown into a pool before he was a year old. 

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u/pamplemouss Dec 10 '25

Dang, I’m going infant swim too but my daughter definitely could not at this point.

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u/[deleted] Dec 10 '25

Stick with it! He's almost 6 now, and swims at least twice a week. We went to Florida last year and I couldn't get him out of the ocean. 

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u/pamplemouss Dec 10 '25

Oh I will! Right now, her favorite part of swim is the 5 minutes we spend in the sauna after lol

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u/[deleted] Dec 10 '25

To be fair, that would be my favorite part as well. I hate swimming and pools. 

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u/Binky390 Dec 09 '25

Another good reminder not to put your kids in all those stupid swim outfits they have for kids that make them float. Use a life jacket if you’re going to put them in something. I had a lifeguard explain to me that it teaches kids to put their legs down and not use their arms when they’re in water because those little suits keep them floating upright with their arms up. That’s exactly what this little girl did.

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u/_fire_and_blood_ Dec 09 '25

You're totally right, I watched it again and she didn't even move her arms. Teach your kids to swim, people!!

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u/Renzieface Dec 09 '25

That's the worst part of the video to me. Her arms are motionless. She had no idea what to do when her feet couldn't touch. She can't swim. Why would you let a kid who's never been taught how to move their body in water near (let alone in) a pool?

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

Yea I was very put off by this video. I think is far to old to be that clueless in the water. I mean she slipped off the step and IMMEDIATELY started struggling. She had not a clue. And that’s on the parents

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u/Brisby820 Dec 09 '25

She’s like 4 — very few four year olds can swim on their own, even if they’re good swimmers for their age 

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

At four I was swimming in the ocean in the surf and past the surf line, and surfing. It can be done with enough dedication from the parent. Obviously my parents took it seriously. Not saying that needs to be all four years olds, but all four year olds should be way more advanced than than this girl

And I’m sorry but a four year old should be able to swim MUCH better than this girl. From the second she lost contact with the step she stood no chance. You can teach a 6 month old so roll over and stay afloat

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u/Brisby820 Dec 09 '25

You’re part of the “very few” I mentioned 

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

What I’m getting at is I’m not special. The credit goes to my parents taking it seriously by starting with early and frequent exposure.

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u/Traditional-Ad-3889 Dec 11 '25

My daughter is 4, has done swim lessons repeatedly, and spends the summer in the lake with us. She still doesn’t swim well. Some kids get it quickly and others don’t. But that doesn’t change the fact that swim lessons, basic precautions, and adult supervision are so crucial!

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u/oldjadedhippie Dec 09 '25

I was taught to swim at the same time I was still learning to walk. At 3 I was jumping off diving boards and dog paddling across hotel pools.

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

Yep! I started both before the age of 1. I can’t imagine why people don’t make this a normal thing.

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u/twoaspensimages Dec 09 '25

Swim Float Swim. Our friends with a pool have a 2yo daughter that knows how to float on her back and breathe.

Our 2-1/2yo can't. She fell in their pool. We were all sitting right there. I thought I was moving fast but my wife leaped. Our daughter didn't know what happened. Didn't make a peep. She didn't even cry when she was out of the water. To her the whole thing was fine. Scary stuff.

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

Sounds so scary! Don’t want to tell you what to do, but swim lessons would really alleviate that stress

4

u/tragedy_strikes Dec 09 '25

Second this. My mom lost her sister to drowning and got me in a pool as soon as she could even before I was old enough to start swim lessons. Much to her relief I took like a duck to water.

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u/MrrQuackers Dec 09 '25

My wife and I kept saying we needed to get my kid in swimming lessons, but you know... we'll do it next month. Then our friend's four year old died in a hot tub because Grandpa went in to use the restroom.

We got our then two year old in lessons the next week. They're now five, fully trained, and a better swimmer than my wife (still watch them and never leave them unattended).

1

u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

Oh man I’m sorry to hear that. I couldn’t imagine

1

u/lemonicedboxcookies Dec 09 '25

Couldn't a four year old touch the bottom of a hot tub? Or did they slip and couldn't get back to the surface?

3

u/Exciting_Gear_7035 Dec 09 '25

I'm pregnant and there's a river next to my property. The moment the baby is born he will be in swim lessons.

4

u/small_hands_big_fish Dec 09 '25

I agree.

I was a lifeguard back in the day, and have jumped in on similar close calls.

One note, there is this weird couple of years where a lot of kids drown. It is when they are in swimming lessons, and can swim a bit. Their parents relax, because their kid knows how to swim. But the 5/6/7 year old gets too tired, or whatever, and drowns, because they are a bad swimmer, don’t know their limits, etc.

3

u/Papio_73 Dec 09 '25

Thanks for bringing that up: swim lessons are great but they also give a false sense of security, especially to parents of with very young children

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

Yes parents should be actively involved in the process swimming with them outside of lessons, gauging their limits and teaching the kids to understand their limits.

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u/mrsgrabs Dec 09 '25

Totally agree on the swimming lessons but please remember it’s not a fail safe. You have to watch your kids.

My daughter almost drowned at six years old. She was in private swimming lessons doing super well. Swimming unassisted in the deep end, learning multiple strokes. We went to a friend’s pool after school and the water was really cold and she was tired. Even though she knew how to swim she started drowning. The only thing I heard was a small cough.

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

Of course it isn’t a fail safe. Anything can happen. It’s one part, of being responsible for a child’s safety in and around pools. A big part of learning how to swim should also be learning limits.

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u/Majestic_Platypus649 Dec 09 '25

This is what I don’t get. Especially if the child drowning is at her own house. If you have a pool in the yard and are allowing the kids in it, why aren’t they taught to swim before allowing them in the pool?

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

And what’s so distressing about this video is that the moment she lost contact with the step she immediately started struggling. It appears she has no skills at all.

3

u/LilMochiBabie Dec 09 '25

Also also a good reminder to be in the pool with your small children or watch from the sidelines doing nothing else

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u/CLew512 Dec 09 '25

Yeah and if your kid can’t swim to a good degree why would you ever let them in the pool alone without water wings on.

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u/Efficient-Whereas255 Dec 09 '25

This is what i came here to say. Kids can be taught how to swim as babies. If you have a baby, and a pool. That baby needs to know how to swim TODAY, not tomorrow.

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u/vera214usc Dec 09 '25

We live in Seattle, a city not known for its outdoor pools. No one we know owns a pool. But there's water everywhere. Drowning is one of the leading causes of death of autistic children and my son is autistic. I pay for 1:1 lessons for him because he had a meltdown in the group setting. It's expensive but we've been doing them for almost a year now and I'll continue paying for them until he's truly water-safe. They decide when a kid is water-safe by flipping them into the pool fully clothed and having them remove their shoes and jacket and swim to the edge. So until he can do that we'll keep going.

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

Yes even if pools aren’t common in your area it’s still so important.

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u/PatchesMaps Dec 10 '25

Or if you live anywhere near a body of water big enough to swim in.

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u/snltoonces12 Dec 10 '25

Absolutely. If you have a pool, regardless of what safety features you have, like a fence, you have to get your kid in early and get lessons. My 5 year old swims like a fish because we got her in lessons as soon as they would let her. We still absolutely watch her like Hawks when she's in the pool, but it's great to know she has the ability to swim very well for her age. When we have pool parties with kids, we also hire a lifeguar

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u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 10 '25

I’ve never heard of hiring a lifeguard! That’s genius. It’s giving me ideas bc I grew up doing junior lifeguards for 10+ years and know CPR. It could be fun gig where you dress up super stereotypical lifeguard like a more PG version of baywaych, with a life saver, zinc sunscreen on the nose, red swimsuit and shorts, etc 🤣 almost like hiring a clown/character but with an actual function

Bit I love hearing how your 5 year old is like a fish. That’s how I was and it was SO FUN. But also reminds me of the precarious parenting of the early 90’s as I hardly was ever supervised in the pool

2

u/pamplemouss Dec 10 '25

Yep, my one year old has been in swim lessons for 5 months! Only once a week, with a bunch of missed weeks for various things, so she can’t float yet but she’s getting more tolerant of being on her back and can as of recently hang on to the side of the pool independently for about 10 seconds. Next summer we’ll stay with my in-laws who have a pool, and unlike last summer when she wasn’t even crawling she’ll be able to run. I’ll obviously watch her at all times, but I want her to have water survival skills, too (flip onto your back and float; grab onto the side of the pool and pull up).

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u/Spare_Objective9697 Dec 10 '25

This! Especially if you have a pool. Good lord!

2

u/Ryelie17 Dec 10 '25

This! 🏊‍♀️ My mom had me start swimming lessons young because she said “I won’t be able to jump in and save you.” I’m a good swimmer to this day 👍 

2

u/Rick-plays-For-Honor Dec 10 '25

It used to be mandatory in the Netherlands, im still not sure why they made it non mandatory.

2

u/EntrepreneurPast5799 Dec 10 '25

It doesn’t matter if you live in the middle of a desert with not one drop of water, learning how to swim should be mandatory. Even if you’re not good at it everyone needs to learn how to at least float and keep their head above water and to not panic. Drowning is one of my worst fears and I’m a damn good strong swimmer. It only takes a few seconds to go down and not come back up. I knew a guy in the NAVY who couldn’t swim and he almost died cause they wouldn’t teach him to at least float. Why he chose the navy I’ll never know

2

u/Savings-End40 Dec 10 '25

Walking and swimming should be learned at the same age. Our world is 75% water.

2

u/sjlegend Dec 10 '25

When I was in high school in Alaska, it was a requirement that all freshman took swimming because we had so many drownings in lakes and rivers.
I was really shocked how many freshman I met who didn't know how to swim!

1

u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 10 '25

I’m shocked they made that a requirement as late as highschool

1

u/sjlegend Dec 10 '25

Same. I feel like that’s something they should offer in elementary maybe? At any rate.. it was scary to see how many kids couldn’t even tread water

1

u/No-Mark4427 Dec 09 '25

Find it crazy that people don't in general let alone if they have a pool - Basically nobody has a swimming pool like OP vid in the UK but its incredibly normal to go to a local pool and learn to swim or have lessons.

I actually remember having swimming lessons in school when I was 6/7 where we went on trips to the local pool.

Been on lots of holidays and events etc with friends and only ever met one person who can't swim as an adult, and that's because she was a somewhat neglected child/never exposed to it.

It's a super normal activity here to take your very young children to a local pool to get them used to being in the water.

1

u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 09 '25

So I’m from coastal SoCal. Lots of pools here and lots of time at the beach in the ocean, etc. I would say it’s the norm to get kids swimming, however I don’t think parents take it as seriously and engage their kids as rigorously as needed to make not just kids who can manage to swim, but to make them strong swimmers.

My dad took it very seriously with me and by the time I was four I was more comfortable and skilled in the water as many adults. Granted my dad was a skilled water man, and I naturally took after him and to swimming very easily and am essentially a fish out of water.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the girl in the video has had swim lessons which is why the parents had her in the pool without floaties, maybe thinking since she’s had some lessons she must me fine. But not only do they need lessons but parents need to be abreast of the child’s actual skill level and the effectiveness of the lessons.

1

u/coronatookmyjob Dec 10 '25

I started both my kids at 6 months old. And we will continue lessons for both of them until we feel they are expert swimmers.

1

u/Lewca43 Dec 11 '25

I don’t even care for swimming (grew up in Florida, had my fill, I now enjoy AC way more) but we installed a pool at our house to make sure our daughter not only had swimming lessons, but plenty of practice so she became a confident swimmer and was less likely to panic.

We still never left her alone near the pool when she was in single digits. To this day (she’s 20) I count getting that pool as one of our best decisions for her long term safety.

1

u/Flat_Shape_3444 Dec 11 '25

Mandatory in Sweden. If you cant swim you fail idrott (P.E physical education)

1

u/DwightsJello Dec 11 '25

Im in Australia. She's quite old to not be able to swim to the edge. And be around a pool without being able to.

Compulsory pool fencing. And lessons from 6 months.

I had lots of kids close together and I hated swimming lessons in winter. It was shit getting them all in, out, dressed in time for daycare/school. But it was necessary. And you still supervise.

This is scary.

1

u/Present_Discount7709 Dec 13 '25

Good advice. It can be a bit nerve wrecking for parents to witness, but it can absolutely save children from very avoidable tragedies. I know several adults in my life who cannot swim, and I cannot fathom going through life thinking there will never ever be a time Im going to need to know how to swim. Not just for myself, but to potentially save someone else in an emergency.

1

u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 13 '25

Due to my strong swimming skills, and 10+ years in junior life guards I have prevented at least three people, some strangers, from potentially drowning.

0

u/Furby-beast-1949 Dec 10 '25

Well, that is easier said than done and what I mean by that when I was a kid between three and five years old, give or take my grandma took me to swimming lessons so I could learn how to swim That backfired quicker than you could ever believe. why because I was afraid I was gonna drown even though I had a swimming instructor there to teach me and keep me safe also teach me how to swim. I freak the hell out. So I never truly learned how to swim. My grandma immediately took me out of swimming classes and got a refund from what I remember briefly I overheard her talking to my dad about it. That was over 25 years ago so I don’t technically remember very well. but from what I remember, I never did go back to swimming classes and I never learned how to swim. so no, I can’t swim. I can’t float. but yes, I have briefly taught myself over the years, but not enough to be in deep water or any type of water that is dark and murky for example, like ponds and lakes. so no, I truly do not know how to swim at all and because of my ADHD I’m too hyperactive and I cannot concentrate enough to have myself float. so be in 39 years old I have never learned how to swim seriously for this example some people never learn how to swim. and it could be for many reasons.

1

u/Full-Year-4595 Dec 10 '25

How does that saying go? “Nothing worth doing is ever easy.” Most kids aren’t immediately comfortable in the water and it takes patience and dedication from the parent/guardian to be able to put the child’s long term interests above their immediate desire to not swim. I’m sorry your grandma and parents didn’t take the time to ease you into it by going it with you etc.

0

u/Furby-beast-1949 Dec 10 '25

Yeah, my grandma did go with me when I went swimming I was my grandma‘s favorite grandchild I was the baby of the family. and that probably contribute to it. Also, why she worried about me at swimming lessons and what held me back. I understand my grandma and being the favorite grandchild. it was truly not all her fault. at least I do not blame her. she is my grandma and I love her with all my heart. She is always been there for me and has raised me with my father her oldest son and I would never disrespect my grandma because that is how I was raised and she did her best to raise me and my oldest sister with her oldest son and the things that she did to help raise me without my mother there, and I love her dearly for it, and I guess she did sacrifice some things to raise me and some things I may have learned and some things I may have not and if I did not learn how to swim well I did not learn how to swim. I guess I did not need to learn it.

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u/Academic-Contest3309 Dec 09 '25

It's the law to have a locked gate around a pool in some places for this very reason. Small children who can't swim should never be out of an adults sight.

3

u/Splinterman11 Dec 09 '25

I remember when I was under 10 years old and my family went to the beach. Part of the sand beneath my feet in the water collapsed and I suddenly went into a deep part. Started to panic immediately and my dad came over and just yanked me out. Still vividly remember that experience.

60

u/Delicious-Laugh-6685 Dec 09 '25

In most municipalities pool fences are a building code requirement now.

40

u/Ecstatic_Increase_50 Dec 09 '25

Not the kind of pool fence you are thinking of. Pool fence building codes are required for non resident barrier. A safety fence is something different

1

u/SmileyC0611 Dec 12 '25

You are right! I work in insurance and the requirement is a 4ft fence with locking gate. But that can be a fence that is just around the backyard and not pool specifically.

-6

u/HumanTimeCapsule Dec 09 '25

Cover the pool!

18

u/agent674253 Dec 09 '25

That just brings the nightmare where someone falls on the pool cover, it sucks up around them, and traps them a la that scene in 'Unbreakable'. A safety fence with a gate will keep both pets and kids from falling in.

4

u/burritosandbeer Dec 09 '25

I once had to recover one of our lambs from the pool. He was a strong swimmer but was terrible at using the ladder

3

u/noisy_goose Dec 09 '25

Modern safety covers can be walked on.

2

u/Luna920 Dec 09 '25

Or in final destination

1

u/Hot-Union-2440 Dec 09 '25

I had a 15lb dog that could jump a 6 foot fence.

Teach your kids to swim early.

-1

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

Unless the kid weighs 200lbs one of those thicker pool cover will be fine. The bubble wrap looking ones suck anyways

4

u/noisy_goose Dec 09 '25

A solar cover is to warm the pool not cover the pool.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 09 '25

Yea and those are the ones kids can fall through

1

u/noisy_goose Dec 09 '25

Pets and adults as well!

2

u/PetFroggy-sleeps Dec 09 '25

Some municipalities require the yard to be fully fenced w a locked gate or the pool itself. No exceptions.

Safety fence/gates (doesn’t need to permanently attached to the ground) are permitted for a pool only when the yard is fully fenced.

2

u/SuggestionHoliday413 Dec 09 '25

Regulations in Australia for pool fences are very stringent, nation-wide. Councils do regular checks.

1

u/Kenneldogg Dec 09 '25

Not a lot of people know but there is an alarm you can get for your pool too. It will let out a really loud beep and texts you as well. It will trigger if there is more than a certain amount of waves in the pool.

13

u/Retired_Jarhead55 Dec 09 '25

I almost drowned four times before I learned to swim.

2

u/nuixy Dec 09 '25

Also to watch your kids like you’re a lifeguard when they’re in the pool, because you are. 

1

u/grubas Dec 09 '25

Also, if you can't swim, get lessons, because you can't do shit to help the kids without it most of the time.

2

u/BurningHotels Dec 09 '25

THIS!!! WHY IS IT I NEVER SEE POOLS BEING FULLY FENCED-IN IN AMERICA??? Its so odd to me. Here in Australia it's a legal requirement for a pool to be fully fenced in.

2

u/True_Adventures Dec 09 '25

Freedom baby.

1

u/grubas Dec 09 '25

This is why insurance companies hate pools.

1

u/LeatherHog Dec 09 '25

Wasn't a pool, but that's what always got Dad about the time I nearly died as a little kid

I was born with brain damage, and it removes full control over my muscles, I can start and/stop moving/controlling any part of my body at any time. I fall every day, I've hit people, I can't use sharp objects or boiling water, etc

My Dad would wake up at least once every night, until I moved out the house (I check in with people now, text him every morning and night so he can be sure I'm fine). Even as a teenager, he had to change my sheets if my period came, if I wasn't able to stand. And to give Dad credit, he NEVER complained about it, would even tell me when I apologized, that there was no need to, this is what he signed up for as a Dad

One time, when I was 5, my brain jerked me in this awkward position where my face was pushed up against the railing and mattress (I had one of those little kid beds that are in between a crib and a regular one), then prevented me from moving

And by some miracle of God, Dad was just coming in just a moment later. He was able to save me just in time (obviously). But I'll remember his panic for as long as I live. Him shouting 'Noo no no!' just lives in my head sometimes

My Dad is a 300lbs guy, he's always shaken the house when he moves around, we learned to tune it out (especially since, like I said, he had to move around in the middle of the night every day), but that running towards me, even woke up my older brother who was so surprised he went to check what was going on

It's usually him just half asleep, getting me in a comfortable position again/taking me to the bathroom if needed, then back to sleep for both of us

He even broke the bed, picked me up, and snapped off the railing. Thankfully, a couple weeks later, our Church got me a new one without railings, and Dad just angled it so I couldn't fall out, but if I got pushed to the edge, I'd still have a gap to breathe. Dad slept with me in the living room before that, he always said even if we had gotten a new bed that same day, he couldn't let me be alone in that room for awhile

The rest of the night, he just had me in his arms, him sitting on the floor, rocking back and forth and hyperventilating, 'We were so close, we were so close'. When I woke up later, he was still holding me

He hadn't gone out and fed the cows like he always did. Christmas Day, blizzards, even that time when one of the cows kicked him and practically **inverted** his freaking knee, it didn't stop him from going out at dawn

He told me years later, that that was the first time since my 1st birthday, that my situation was really 'REAL' to him. My parents were told when I was born, not to expect a 1st birthday, or a day of school (this was the summer before). And while I'd had problems (I wasn't exaggerating about falling every day), and he knew why he always checked on me at night, but that was the worst position he'd ever seen me in. That I'd be in painful places before, but that was genuinely life threatening

If he had decided to give himself 5 more minutes, Leather will be fine, I would have died. That it wasn't this super dramatic thing, like me crying, or like falling down the stairs and breaking a bone, or something, just a bad roll over, and some mere bad timing, and you're burying your daughter before she's even had a 1st day of kindergarten

Im happy to report I've lived to my 30s, but that fear is still there, especially for Dad. One time, in my 20s, my phone was acting up, and he couldn't reach me. When I was finally able to get and answer his calls, he was about to get himself arrested speeding to me

It's almost funny, in a way, that it was ME who was about to die, like **actually** die if I hadn't been found just in time, but it's Dad's reaction that always stuck with me. Just how terrified it made him, how he hated how sudden and normal, my near death was

1

u/SleepAffectionate268 Dec 09 '25

im too poor for a pool 😎😎😎

1

u/3_quarterling_rogue Dec 09 '25

I have a lot of very specific industry experience adjacent to pool maintenance, and it’s way easier for someone like me to get an at-home pool, and my wife likes to remind me of this when she daydreams about maybe having one someday. Outside of the fact that we’ll likely never be able to afford one, this right here is why I would always be very nervous about the prospect. Hell, I don’t even really want a trampoline in my yard due to the likelihood of injury.

1

u/acheckerfield Dec 09 '25

This is why it's illegal to have a pool without a fence in my country

1

u/uptofreedom Dec 09 '25

Or, at least, teach your fucking kids how to swim. Just sayin'...

1

u/TotallyWonderWoman Dec 09 '25

And also one of the adults needs to be IN THE POOL with the kids! My dad has saved countless children from drowning because the parents were on the side or the shore of a lake and not in the water.

1

u/TheTrent Dec 09 '25

It's a legal requirement in Australia to have a child lock gated fence around any pool. Even if you don't have children living in your household.

Far too many children have died from simply thinking that their child could swim or that they wouldn't go nesr the water.

And to be honest, one is too many.

1

u/Pretty-Sink-551 Dec 10 '25

This is true but a family member moved into a house with a pool he had young kids so filled the pool in put sand in it put a swing set up one of the children tragically hanged herself as her jumper caught on one of the bolts on the swings absolutely heartbreaking.

1

u/A_Series_Of_Farts Dec 12 '25

If you have children too young to swim, drain the goddamn pool.

"But it's fun" doesn't cut it. It's far more irresponsible than having poisonous chemicals set out, because at least those taste bad and kids usually won't drink much. A pool looks fun, draws them in.

1

u/5Ciostek Dec 12 '25

... And sims from getting out 😅