Local Mom is pleading with pool owners to be safe

Gillian Burnett says her “heart broke” when she heard of the death of a three-year-old in a backyard pool in Hagersville, Ont.

The child was found unresponsive late Saturday afternoon and died in hospital.

Burnett is the mother of Waylon Saunders. He is the Lambton County toddler who was brought back to life after being discovered in a backyard pool at a home daycare on Jan 24.

Through miracles his mother said, he returned home from hospital two weeks later.

She is devastated to learn the child in Hagersville will not be coming home.

“It really hit home, brought tears to my eyes and shattered my heart. It’s not something that any parent wants to go through,” Burnett said.

Since Waylon's near-fatal experience, Burnett has become an advocate for pool safety. With many owners ready to open their pools for the season, she reminds them how fast tragedy can strike.

“It literally takes seconds for them to drown and a lot of people don’t know that. Drowning is silent. It’s not splashing and screaming.”

The Life Saving Society of Ontario (LSSO) says 12 per cent of all drowning deaths occur in backyard pools.

And that number jumps when it comes to young kids.

“For backyard pools specifically, they account for one-third of water-related deaths in children under five,” said LSSO spokesperson Stephanie Bakalar.

Some members of the medical team that supported Waylon Saunders during his initial recovery are seen in this photo (Source: London Health Sciences Centre)

But Backalar said there are ways to prevent deaths.

She said the key is having a four-sided fence around your pool — A house does not count as part of the fence. She also suggests self-locking gates and gate alarms.

Bakalar said education is another key part of pool safety, adding, “Parents should ensure they know how to swim and consider taking life-saving courses.”

Around the pool, Backalar said it is vital to ensure an adult is always assigned to be “on duty.”

“Make it really clear, dedicate somebody to watch the water at all times. And put those phones down! Be within arms reach, be present and there with your kids,” she said.

Burnett reiterates the message as she watches Waylon continue to recover from his icy ordeal in a backyard pool.

While playful as he approaches his second birthday this Friday, Burnett said it is too early to determine any long-term damage.

“We don’t know yet because he is so young. So, it’s just kind of a waiting game to know what he is capable of,” she shared with CTV News London.

And as she waits, Burnett hopes parents and guardians will finally get the message to always be on guard around a pool.

“People think it won’t happen to me, and then what? Then you're stuck with the grief of the poor family that just lost their three year old. Or you're stuck with my grief of my son not being who he once was.”