A warm day last summer Nathalie Leveille from St-Hubert is visiting at her sister and brother in-law's residence in Laval with her husband Eric and her 2 years old daughter Joanie. While both couple are chatting in the kitchen young Joanie decided to go play in the garden with her young 3 years old cousin Guyaume.

Not long after the parents could hear Guyaume yelling for his young cousin; they heard "Joanie..!! Joanie..!!" Wondering what was going on Natalie's brother in-law went to see what the commotion was all about. To his dismay he discovered Joanie's little body floating on her back in the pool. She was unconscious and was turning blue all over. He jumped in the water grabbing the lifeless child and yell back for help. Nathalie shared "that the first thing she wanted to do was to hold my baby daughter in my arms but doing so, I discovered that my daughter was not breathing and had no pulse". Nathalie had first aid and decided to administered mouth to mouth to her daughter. A few minutes later Joanie spit up the water and started to cry.

Both couples attempt to put the puzzle together trying to find out what happen in the garden. They discovered that Guyaume took a chair and claimed over it to open the door that was usually lock.

Sadly stories like this one happen way more often that you may think. In fact drowning in residential pool is the second best killer in Canada after car accidents and usually the victims are the children. In 1998 13 young children under the age of 5 were drowning victims. That brings up the death tool to more than 30% than the year prior. Unfortunately Quebec has first place in the number of drowning of children adding, 7 young children aged not more than 4 years old per year.

M Raynald Hawkins , CEO , of safety society states that "in Quebec province we can easily find over 300 000 residential pool, this is the highest ratio in population of North America.

As per statistics , for one children drowning accident 3 or even 4 more almost happened requiring hospitalisation due to insufficient oxygen to the brain 3 to 6 % will stay handicap.

Attracting Death

Children are curious by nature and can become vulnerable to their environment. As Laura Bemrose coordinator of water safety special project in Ottawa says: “telling children is not enough. Water is a natural attracting substance for children

Even if our children are the most gifted we cannot expect a two year old to act responsibly. Having learned how to swim in a control environment falling accidentally in a pool, children will most likely drown. Caroline Gagnon National Coordinator for the Canadian Red Cross in Ottawa shared that “Most of the time a child simply falls attempting to grab a toy or walking on the side of the pool.”

Young children that fall into the water usually fall silently without people hearing the splashing water without moving their arms and legs. Scientist found that an old reflex called (diver’s instinct) takes over and makes them fall onto their belly. Laura Bemrose quotes “In this position the child can drown in a few seconds only.”