Bode Miller's daughter dies in pool accident

[Dexter Rutecki]

Story is they were at a neighbor's pool party in CA and his young daughter ended up in the pool without anyone seeing her.

The worst thing imaginable for a parent...

Horrible, obviously, but I think it also is a case where someone is actually to blame for this. Unless whoever was in charge of the kid didn't know the house had a pool, with kids that age around a pool (or beach, or whatever) you have to be of the mindset that they can't be unattended for even 60 seconds. If you have kids you'll know that that is easier said than done, and it sure is easy to lose a kid for a minute or two, but pools are such known/obvious hazards...anyway, if any good can come of this maybe it will help with the awareness that this is a real danger for those who might not have taken it seriously enough.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...611-story.html

[Bobby Stainless]

Man that's rough.

[Dantheman]

No matter how horrible you think that might be, I can assure you that it's worse. My heart aches for them.

[AKPogue]

Dex way to keep proving you're just an Asshole!

[Game Over]

Worst nightmare. ☹️

[GhostofSeasonsPast]

Story is they were at a neighbor's pool party in CA and his young daughter ended up in the pool without anyone seeing her.

The worst thing imaginable for a parent...

Horrible, obviously, but I think it also is a case where someone is actually to blame for this. Unless whoever was in charge of the kid didn't know the house had a pool, with kids that age around a pool (or beach, or whatever) you have to be of the mindset that they can't be unattended for even 60 seconds. If you have kids you'll know that that is easier said than done, and it sure is easy to lose a kid for a minute or two, but pools are such known/obvious hazards...anyway, if any good can come of this maybe it will help with the awareness that this is a real danger for those who might not have taken it seriously enough.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...611-story.html

Everyone knows pools are a real danger to kids.

It's hard to accept that bad things sometimes just happen and that he and his wife were unlucky. Parents who have never had a kid end somewhere they didn't expect -- well, there are no parents like that.

Just awful, every parent's worst nightmare.

[willywhit]

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...highlight=bode

[Skistack]

When she was about two, one of my daughters took a step into deeper water right in front of my wife, mother and sister in law. Who were too busy chit-chatting to notice. I jumped in and grabbed her, she was just standing there, water over her head, looking up, completely helpless. I'll never forget that and how badly it could have ended.

[GhostofSeasonsPast]

preventable tragedy not unlucky

Interesting to see who is weighing in with their ill-informed negative judgments, but predictable.

[oftpiste]

Worst nightmare indeed. Time for compassion and not blame.

[Timberridge]

So sad. There's a radio ad each summer around the metro NY area warning about this. For those not in this area Stew Leonard owns a famous grocery chain and his son died in a similar way. The story is here,

http://www.connecticutmag.com/health...1b043470a.html

[Cono Este]

Ban pools?

We don’t really need them with all the YMCA’s.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[Dexter Rutecki]

Interesting to see who is weighing in with their ill-informed negative judgments, but predictable.

Equally interesting to see those who reject the idea that preventing a kid from drowning in a pool is somehow beyond the ability of a parent/guardian. I don't think anyone is saying this isn't terrible, nor do I think anyone is pointing fingers (especially since who knows what actually happened), but the point being made is that this kind of 'accident' should be almost 100% preventable (maybe not even almost, but actually 100%). And as I mentioned, it would be good if this incident helps make people aware of how this can happen and how completely preventable it is. If that is not the case I would like to hear why.

[GeezerSteve]

Oh no. That is terrible.

I am one step removed from a similar experience. The victim, a toddler, wandered off from the adults, managed to get past safety barriers and fell into the hosts' pool. Her parents sued the hosting couple (best friends until the tragedy). Homeowners insurance defended and covered it. As you would imagine, both families were forever changed. The hosting couple moved out of the state. The victim's parents eventually got divorced. It was fucking awful. I would imagine all 4 adults think about it each day of their lives.

I had met both couples a few months before the tragedy. The hosting husband had mentioned the need to teach children to swim as young as possible.

[doebedoe]

Interesting to see who is weighing in with their ill-informed negative judgments, but predictable.

Alpy might have poor timing. But you're the ill informed one.

I work pretty closely with child fatality review boards and CPS -- I wouldn't be at all surprised for this fatality to be found as preventable. That doesn't mean it wasn't also unlucky.

[AK47bp]

This brings me to tears thinking of. Just bought my daughter one of those Intex above ground pool (12ft diameter and 2.5ft deep) and the thing is plastered with warnings. The number one cause of death for kids age 1-4 is drowning. I'm second guessing that decision.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[DBdude]

yes, parents worst nightmare. condolences to the Millers and those that were close to the child. watch your toddlers and young kids around water

[Sirshredalot]

This brings me to tears thinking of. Just bought my daughter one of those Intex above ground pool (12ft diameter and 2.5ft deep) and the thing is plastered with warnings. The number one cause of death for kids age 1-4 is drowning. I'm second guessing that decision.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

Keep it shallow and watch the kid like a hawk at any time there is water in it. It'll be okay.

[Fritz]

Damn. Rip.

[wooley12]

Dex way to keep proving you're just an Asshole!

I'll second that emotion. Death of a child of any age is pure tragedy.

4 adults and my 5 y o walk out on a small wood boat dock that's 3 feet above the water. We look at the boat. We look at he the lake. We turn around and the kid is in the lake hanging onto the dock. Two feet away and we didn't hear a splash. Kid had taken a "drown proof" swim lessons that paid off.

[billyk]

Oh, fuck, this is terrible.

One of my kids almost drowned in one of those kiddy pools we had in the backyard at about the same age. Thankfully my wife noticed in time, and got him out.

This could happen to anyone.

[Dexter Rutecki]

I'll second that emotion. Death of a child of any age is pure tragedy.

4 adults and my 5 y o walk out on a small wood boat dock that's 3 feet above the water. We look at the boat. We look at he the lake. We turn around and the kid is in the lake hanging onto the dock. Two feet away and we didn't hear a splash. Kid had taken a "drown proof" swim lessons that paid off.

Probably worth rethinking who the asshole is in this case.

[GhostofSeasonsPast]

Oh no. That is terrible.

I am one step removed from a similar experience. The victim, a toddler, wandered off from the adults, managed to get past safety barriers and fell into the hosts' pool. Her parents sued the hosting couple (best friends until the tragedy). Homeowners insurance defended and covered it. As you would imagine, both families were forever changed. The hosting couple moved out of the state. The victim's parents eventually got divorced. It was fucking awful. I would imagine all 4 adults think about it each day of their lives.

I had met both couples a few months before the tragedy. The hosting husband had mentioned the need to teach children to swim as young as possible.

Yeah and teaching them to swim also doesn't necessarily help. I would emphasize the "managed to get past safety barriers" part of your post as well.

Pools are dangerous. They are also great, wholesome exercise. It doesn't make it the fault of the hosts with the installed safety barriers in your case, or of those parents, or any of the parties in the case of Bode Miller and his family.

As far as suing the host family, though, laws need to change so that lawyers lose their license if they try to pull that kind of stunt.

Real simple: don't socialize with people that have pools, or water in their toilets, or 5 gallon buckets, or kiddie pools in their backyard, or a trampoline, or a basketball hoop, if you want to be able to sue them if an unthinkable accident happens.

[GeezerSteve]

As far as suing the host family, though, laws need to change so that lawyers lose their license if they try to pull that kind of stunt.

What do you suggest? Changing the laws so that all homeowners with pools are immune from liability if child drowns in their pool?

FTR, at least 2 of the adults were (and AFAIK still are) attorneys. Lawyers are people.

[Dexter Rutecki]

Oh, fuck, this is terrible.

One of my kids almost drowned in one of those kiddy pools we had in the backyard at about the same age. Thankfully my wife noticed in time, and got him out.

This could happen to anyone.

I'm still not convinced that that is true (but obviously glad to hear your wife saved the day). I am in no way minimizing how awful this is, nor am I blaming anyone as I have no idea what happened, but to me this is a hazard that a parent can pretty much make a non-issue if the parent decides to do that. Even after our kids were competent swimmers, until they were much older they were never in the water without at least one pair of (adult) eyes on them. Certainly before they could swim they would not be in a position to fall in the pool without someone seeing it--they literally would not be unattended for a second. It is just too easy for this too happen, but by the same token IMO it is one of the easier childhood hazards to mitigate. Not letting a little kid out of your sight isn't the easiest or most relaxing thing in the world, but given how quickly disaster can strike when you're with a toddler around a pool I think it's just something you have to do--either keep them entirely away from a pool, or be super-vigilant. Again, I am not pointing fingers here, just hoping that maybe this is instructive and makes people realize how dangerous pools can be for little kids.