California is finally opening back up after more than a year of restrictions on businesses and gatherings. With that in mind, it is highly likely that many Sacramento residents are planning to get away for this Independence Day weekend.
Lots of those destinations will have pools and spas — a welcome relief to the sweltering temperatures the area has been experiencing as the heat dome in the Pacific Northwest dips further southward. However, in your haste to relax in some cool pools or spas, beware of the dangers these amenities can pose.
Drowning not your only risk
Children and even adults can face extreme dangers from suction entrapment by the water circulation system. The powerful force of an uncovered drain can cause the individual to drown or even die from evisceration. The problem is more common in older pools and spas that might not be up to code or have even been “grandfathered” in as-is.
Know the 5 kinds of suction entrapment
Below are five different ways that suction entrapment can kill or maim victims. They are:
- Hair entanglement – Anyone with long, untethered hair who is swimming or soaking in a spa runs the risk of their hair getting pulled into a drain and wrapped around its mechanism. A simple gum band or Scrunci can tie their hair up and out of reach of danger.
- Limb entrapment – Kids often play near drains because they find the suction on their arms or legs to be funny. But if a limb gets stuck in the drain, the fun ends.
- Body entrapment – A person’s torso could get sucked close enough to the bottom drain in the pool to form a tight suction where they cannot break free.
- Mechanical entrapment – Here, clothing features or jewelry get caught up in the grate covering the drain and keep victims underwater.
- Evisceration – Although much rarer than the other forms, this can occur when the torso or rectum is stuck against the powerful suction of the drain, causing disembowelment.
All of these have the potential to cause permanent injuries or death.
Seek help after pool and spa injuries
In addition to the immediate and ongoing medical treatment, victims will need after these horrific incidents, they may also require legal intervention to get them the compensation they deserve from negligent property owners.