Drowning risk for toddlers

KIDSAFE Victoria has issued a state-wide alert about the drowning risk to toddlers when water is stored in buckets or wheelie bins.
The warning comes after a near-drowning of a four-year-old boy in Melbourne’s north last week after he fell head first into a wheelie bin that had enough water in it to submerge the boy’s head.
Kidsafe Victoria president Dr Mark Stokes said parents needed to be alerted to the drowning dangers of stored water as some people collected water for recycling in buckets or wheelie bins.
“There are millions of buckets of water being stored in homes every day in Victoria with each bucket representing a potential drowning situation or near drowning which can leave children with severe brain damage,” Dr Stokes said.
Parents are encouraged to assess how they store water at home and remove any hazards.