Family Warn About Dangers of Cheap Floaties

The family of a three-year-old boy who nearly drowned in a backyard pool has warned about the dangers of cheap floaties.

Grandmother Irena Ekes has labelled a cheap flotation ring or a floatie as “ridiculous” after her grandson, Zack Daniels, almost drowned while using one when he got trapped under the water when it turned upside down.

Zack was pulled from the water unresponsive before his mother’s friend and a neighbour performed CPR on the boy at his Seven Hills home on Wednesday. He was taken to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead before returning home after being discharged on Thursday.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Ms Ekes said Zack’s mum had only turned her back “for a second” to hand ice blocks to her kids while standing beside the pool. However, when she turned back around, she was shocked to see her son had silently flipped upside down in the 2m inflatable pool.

“She only turned her back for one second at the swing set, which was right next to the pool. So she is standing with the other kids who wanted ice blocks “¦ and the floatie has tipped Zack; she never left that backyard. My daughter thought she can turn her back for one second because she knew he was in a floatie but it tipped him upside down. How does that happen? That is ridiculous,” Ms Ekes said.

The grandmother also clarified that her daughter never left Zack alone in the backyard, and a friend who had gone to collect the snacks after her daughter was criticised online over the incident.

She said her daughter was an amazing mother to her five children. She even considered her daughter a hero for saving her son. “He was out of intensive care and talking to me. He just said, ‘Hi Nanna “¦ I’m all better now.’ I’m so relieved “¦ if my daughter wasn’t already in the backyard with Zack, he would not be with us now.”

Source: Kidspot.com.au