Saturday Safety Roundup

Holiday weeks usually mean an increase in accidents and tragedies. The Fourth of July holiday was no exception.

This week's Saturday Safety Roundup includes stories of:

• two boys (an 11-year-old and a 10-year-old) in Grainger County, Tennessee who died after they were electrocuted while swimming in the water by a houseboat in a marina on the Fourth of July.
• two children (a 13-year-old girl and her 8-year-old brother) in Missouri whodied after they were electrocuted on the Fourth of July while swimming near a private dock in the Lake of the Ozarks.
• three children in New York who drowned on the Fourth of July in a boating accident after a yacht that was likely over loaded with people capsized.
• a 3-year-old in Pelham, New Hamshire who was critically injured in a fireworks explosion. Twelve other people, including five children, were also hurt in the explosion at the home of one of the boy's relatives. The five children required treatment at a burn hospital.
• a 6-year-old in Woodland, California who suffered burns after her clothing caught fire while playing with a sparkler on the Fourth of July.
• a 6-year-old in Mobile, Florida who suffered severe burns after a firework hit her and set her clothing on fire. She was at a Fourth of July party and simply watching as the host shot fireworks into the street and thought she was at a safe distance - about 60 feet away.
• an 11-year-old in Milton, Alabama who drowned in the Blackwater River on the Fourth of July while playing in the water near a boat launch. He didn't know how to swim.
• a 4-year-old in Queens, New York who drowned in a relative's backyard pool at a Fourth of July party.
• three children (a 9 year old and two 7-year-olds) who drowned in the Iowa River while swimming with family members during a Fourth of July outing.
• a 23-month-old in Michigan who suffered severe burns to her feet, back, and legs after stepping on hot coals that were buried in the sand at the Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, instead of being put into nearby ash bins.
• a 14-month-old in San Jacinto, California who died after being strangled by the cord in the window blinds in the family's apartment
• a 2-year-old in Anderson, South Carolina who died after shooting himself in the head with a gun he found on the counter in the bedroom of a home he was visiting with his mother.
• a 3-year-old in Fresno, California who is in a coma after shooting himself in the head with a pellet gun that a cousin had left out
• a 3-year-old in San Jose, California who died after he was accidentally shot with a handgun in his home. His father is a San Jose police officer.
• a 10-year-old in Benson, Vermont who died when the lawn mower he was using to mow the field of a family friend rolled down an embanked and landed on top of him.
• an 11-month-old in Lafayette, Louisiana who died after being left in a hot car for six hours after his father forgot to drop him off at day care and went to work instead
• two children in Pittsboro, Mississippi who died in a house fire. There were found in a back bedroom in the house that had security bars on all of the windows.
• a 5-year-old in Portland, Oregon who suffered critical injuries after falling out of a third floor window of his home.
• a 3-year-old in Anderson, Indiana who died after the ATV she was riding on with her father and brother overturned.
• a 5-year-old in Rural Hall, North Carolina who was killed when an ATV rolled over and crushed him. His father had been using the ATV while fixing a fence.
• a 15-year-old in Adams, North Dakota who died while riding an ATV. A pickup truck clipped her ATV, causing it to roll over.
• a 3-year-old in Huber Heights, Ohio who drowned at an aquatic center with 14 or 15 lifeguards on duty.
• a 5-year-old from Rush City, Minnesota who drowned after falling into Round Lake on his way to get a life jacket that was sitting on the dock.
• a 6-year-old who drowned and was found floating in the water at St. Petersburg Beach, Florida
• a 2-year-old in New Braunfels, Texas who drowned in a backyard swimming pool while being watched by a 16-year-old babysitter who left him alone in the backyard.
• a 12-year-old who drowned at Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia while visiting relatives.
• 4-year-old twin boys in Arlington, Texas who drowned in their grandmother's backyard pool.

Many of the accidents and tragedies are ones that we see week after week, especially drownings, falls, ATV accidents, accidental shootings, and even lawn mower accidents.

Spread the word about child safety to help save lives and reduce these types of accidents and tragedies.

Related:
Layers of Protection - Child Safety Tips
Safety Tips
Health and Safety Slogans for Parents
Survival Swimming Skills