I’m sharing a video of my son, 2, from the most traumatic day of our lives so no other parents go through the same agony
A MUM has shared a video of what she describes as “the most traumatic day of her life” as a warning to other parents.
Gina Mancilla was at a BBQ with friends when her two-year-old son jumped into the swimming pool and almost drowned.
He struggled in the water for 25 seconds before she and her partner heard his screams and ran out to save him.
Gina, a swimming instructor from Colorado, US, said the youngster probably thought he was safe as he had been wearing armbands for most of the day.
She told her TikTok followers: “This was my two-year-old.
“He was skilled in swimming survival but I undid most of what he learnt when I let him swim in a Puddle Jumper so he could ‘have fun’.
“I nearly lost him because he tried to swim in that ‘head up’ position that the floaties had him in all day.”
Her son had been playing on a nearby trampoline moments before the “traumatic” near-death experience.
His parents were just a few feet away, with four other adults.
“I was telling my husband at this exact moment to go outside and watch him so I could change the baby,” she said.
“It was quick and silent. No one saw him walk across the lawn to the pool.”
Footage from the day shows the little boy jump into the water before quickly realising he couldn’t swim.
Thankfully, after splashing about he manages to grab onto a volleyball net to stay afloat.
Gina said the net, plus his survival problem-solving skills, are what saved him.
“He jumped in because he had a false sense of security due to swimming in a Puddle Jumper that day,” she said.
“Please don’t let your children swim in pools with flotation devices.
“I have nothing to gain out of this, but you have so much to lose if you let them.
“My son struggled silently for 25 seconds. I jumped in right after I heard his scream.”
Gina, who shares water safety tips online under the name @isrginamancilla, added: “Most drownings happen during non-swim times. Supervision alone is not enough.
“All children should know how to self-rescue and not rely on personal flotation devices.
“Words can’t describe how I felt after I saw the video.
“It is really difficult to watch but I hope it saves lives.”
How to keep kids safe around water
ACCORDING to the RLSS Drowning Prevention Society, parents can keep kids safe by:
- Always locking gates and fences to stop kids from gaining access to water.
- Securely covering all water tanks and drains.
- Emptying paddling pools and buckets straight after use, and turning them upside down.
- Always supervising bath time, and emptying the bath immediately afterwards.
- Checking the safety arrangements before going on holiday – is there a lifeguard at the beach?
- Checking bathing sites for hazards, and always reading the signs.
- Always swimming with your kids, and being aware of dangerous rip currents in the sea.
- Never using lilos and dinghies in open water – there are drownings every year where people are dragged out to sea.
- Not swimming near rocks, piers, breakwater or coral.
- Swimming parallel to the beach, and close to the shore.