MIDVALE, Utah, June 7, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — A 2-year-old girl was removed from life support late Tuesday, the day after she was discovered floating in her family’s new swimming pool.
Lt. Lex Bell, of the Unified Police Department, has confirmed that Suzie Suhaka passed away at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, with her family around her.
Bell said that dispatchers received the initial call at about 7:15 p.m. Monday regarding a possible child drowning in Midvale. The toddler was found floating face down and was no longer breathing.
Investigators say the girl fell in the pool while the rest of the family was inside the home putting on pajamas for the night. She was flown to Primary Children’s Hospital in critical condition.
Shortly after that accident, the UPD released the following water safety guidelines in hopes of saving other children from injury or death.
Toddlers (age 1-4): Some of these may seem obvious and basic, but a little reminder never hurts.
- Keep toilet lids closed and use toilet seat locks if you have a very curious toddler. Also keep doors to bathrooms and laundry rooms closed. Most children vulnerable to drowning in a toilet are too short to open doors.
- NEVER leave your child unattended around water. Babies can drown in as little as one inch of water.
- Private Swimming Pools: In-ground pools should have a four foot fence with a locking or self-latching gate around them. Above ground pools should have a removable ladder or removable steps so that the child can’t climb into it on their own.
- Learn CPR. Knowing what to do in the case of an emergency is very important and can save lives.
- Teach kids never to go near or in water without an adult present. Having floatation devices can give you a false sense of security. Nothing is fail proof and those water wings can slip off.
- Be alert at public pools. Even though there is a lifeguard present, don’t assume that he/she is watching your child.
- Empty all tubs, containers, buckets, play pools, wading pools and water-slides immediately after use. Also, story them upside down and out of reach of children so that they cannot re-fill with water.
- Enroll your child in swimming lessons if at all possible. Teach them how to tread water and float.
Big Kids (age 5-16):
1. Install door and/or window alarms to alert you to the opening of a door or window leading to the pool area. This can also come in handy if you have a child who likes to sneak out.
2. Always have children swim with a partner, no matter where you are. That way there will always be someone to call for help or immediately notice if something is wrong.
3. Make sure your home pool or spa has a proper drain cover or shut-off function to prevent long hair, loose clothing or body parts from getting trapped.
