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Boy's Near-Drowning Reminder Of Pool Dangers

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By IRENE MAHER News Channel 8 Medical Editor

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 23, 2008

Armand Mumcuoglu was an 11-month-old on the move. The crawler turned toddler had new freedom and new territory to explore. Unfortunately, three days after taking his first steps, Armand's fascination with water took him through the family-room doors and into the patio swimming pool.

It was Dec. 31, 2006, and Armand's parents were preparing for a New Year's Eve family gathering. The open floor plan of their Tampa home made it possible for the children to play within full view of the kitchen. Armand's mother, Sera Mumcuoglu, 36, and her husband, Cengiz, 39, were both in the kitchen and had turned their attention to stuffing a turkey.

"At that moment, we thought all three of the kids were playing together," Sera says. That's when things went terribly wrong. "The other two children decided they were going to go into the computer room and left Armand alone."

The toddler quietly wandered out of the family room and walked just 10 or 15 feet across the patio and slipped silently into the pool. "The patio doors were open and the pool is so close to the kitchen, I would be able to hear it. Why didn't I hear him? No screaming, no yelping, no splashing, nothing," Sera says, still in disbelief.

And that's precisely how most people describe a child drowning or near-drowning. "It is absolutely silent, deadly quiet when young children go under the water," says Capt. Bill Wade with Tampa Fire Rescue.

He says all rescue services expect to see an increase in drowning-related calls during the Memorial Day weekend, most of them involving children younger than 4.

The sudden, unusual quiet soon got the attention of Armand's parents. The moment they realized their son wasn't in the family room, Sera and Cengiz ran to the swimming pool. "We looked outside, and he was floating face down on top of the water," Cengiz says.

Both parents jumped in and pulled the baby out. Cengiz started CPR, and Sera called 911. Just a few months earlier, Cengiz had taken a work-related course in CPR that included instruction in infant and child resuscitation. Paramedics arrived within two minutes and continued providing life support until Armand could be transported by medical helicopter to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital.

Sera and Cengiz believe they had turned their attention away from the activity in the family room for only a minute and a half. Paramedics estimated that Armand had been in the water seven to nine minutes.

The day after Armand's near-drowning, the Mumcuoglus installed a fence around their swimming pool. Their home was built before safety fences were required and, at the time, the Mumcuoglus were relatively new to the area, having moved here from New York a year before. With such a large family and plenty of relatives around, they thought someone would always be watching their youngest child.

Bevin Maynard, a Safe Kids coordinator at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital, says unsecured home pools account for 80 percent of drownings in children younger than 4. "Every near-drowning we've seen at our hospital, the pool was never enclosed, was never four-sided enclosed," she says.

To protect children and prevent drowning, experts advise using layers of protection, beginning with a pool fence. It should be at least 4 feet high and should completely close off the pool and spa areas from the house and play areas. The fence should have a gate that is self-closing and self-locking. The gate-release mechanism must be at least 54 inches off the ground.

When no one's in the pool, an approved safety cover is recommended. Maynard also suggests using a pool alarm that is activated when anything weighing more than 3 pounds enters the water. All windows and doors that provide pool access should be outfitted with exit alarms. The more barriers to the pool, the better.

If children are present during pool parties and group gatherings, an adult should always be designated as pool watcher. That person agrees to keep his or her eyes on the pool at all times until relieved of the responsibility by another adult. Active, sober supervision is key when children are near water.

Rescue equipment should be within easy reach, such as a long pole and life preserver. A poolside telephone is also essential, not just to call 911 during an emergency. Many drownings occur when the caregiver leaves children unattended to answer the phone. And finally, CPR instructions should be posted in the pool area, and parents and pool owners should be trained in CPR. Wade adds that it's not just home pools that are dangerous for young children. Ponds, lakes and retention ditches also can be a hazard. Children should be closely supervised if there's a body of water nearby.

Today, Armand is 2 1/2 years old and goes to occupational and physical therapy four days a week at St. Joseph's Children's Specialty Clinic in North Tampa. Therapists use toys and play to help him regain motor and cognitive skills, such as reaching, grabbing, crawling, problem-solving and talking.

"We're just very thankful that we got through it ... he's a blessing," Cengiz says. "He's a miracle for us."

For more information on drowning prevention, pool safety, CPR classes and community swim lessons, visit www.stjosephschildrens.com.

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