The Safety Turtle

Drowning is the biggest cause of death for children below the age of 5 in Australia. In addition, for every child that drowns, many more are admitted to hospital and between 5 and 20% of these will suffer brain damage to some extent.

Over half of toddler drownings occur in backyard swimming pools, but rivers, lakes, dams, baths, spas, fishponds and even toilets pose a threat, as a small child can drown in as little as 4 cm’s of water.

Australian water-safety experts have always recommended a 4-step approach to drowning prevention. The message to parents has always been – and must always be – that supervision is the key to drowning prevention, a fence that complies with Australian standards should be installed, children should be taught to swim and all pool-owners should learn resuscitation techniques. Of course, these are all essential measures that can significantly reduce the risk of drowning. But can we do more to protect our precious children? In spite of our best efforts, accidents continue to occur and lives continue to be lost.

The problem is that even a momentary lapse of supervision, for example if a parent is momentarily distracted by another child, can lead to tragedy. The United States Consumer Products Safety Commission, reflecting their changing attitude towards the concept that supervision will prevent all drownings, recently stated after a study on childhood drownings: "Supervision Can and Does Fail". The problem is simply that drowning occurs very quickly and quietly.

In addition, a recent survey by The Australian Consumers' Association (ACA), publisher of CHOICE magazines, found that over half of all Australian pool fences tested failed to meet a key safety aspect of the Australian standard for pool fencing.

It is clear that to reduce the risk as much as possible, a layered approach to drowning prevention must be brought to bear. The more "layers of protection" you put between a child and the water, the lower the risk of drowning.

Technology can assist in the fight against toddler drowning. In recent years there has been a huge demand for swimming pool alarms in the USA and Europe and these have even become mandatory in some parts of the USA. While no product can ever take the place of constant adult supervision around water, pool alarms offer an additional layer of protection to further reduce the possibility of drowning. If a child somehow manages to get past a parent and reach the water, the alarm will sound in time to prevent a tragedy. As part of an overall approach to drowning prevention, pool alarms have a very real role to play.

Pool alarms are available in different forms, each with their own distinct advantages and disadvantages. Some alarm whenever anyone enters the pool area, while others only sound when a child falls into the water. For an alarm to be effective, it must not only be reliable, but must also not false alarm, as repeated false alarms might cause the homeowner to eventually disconnect the alarm, rendering it useless.

Pool Alarms have been tested quite extensively in the USA and are now widely considered to be an effective drowning prevention measure.

The Safety Turtle, a personal immersion alarm, has become exceptionally popular internationally. The Safety Turtle consists of a base station, normally located in the house and a wristband, worn by the child. The wristband, designed in the shape of a colourful turtle, locks securely around the child's wrist. The product is permanently sealed and ruggedly built to withstand child's play. Rain or spray from lawn sprinklers will not trigger the alarm. The wristband instantly detects immersion in water and sends a radio signal to the base station, which then sounds a loud distinctive alarm to alert the household. Any number of wristbands can be used with one base station. There is no hardware to install and the unit is completely portable and ready for use at all times.

Unlike other pool alarms that detect intrusion and therefore have to be deactivated (and must then be reactivated) whenever someone enters the pool area, whether to swim or even just to clean the pool, Safety Turtle provides continuous protection to the wearer. The Safety Turtle, by its very nature, can protect a child when the pool is in use, because the Safety Turtle effectively protects the child and not the water. This distinction is vital, because toddler accidents occur very quickly and often take place when adults are in attendance. Many drownings occur in the late afternoon, which tends to be the peak period of pool use and is when numerous distractions are present. During this period, any pool alarm that is not specifically on the child would have to be turned off while others are using the pool.

Our traditional methods of drowning prevention, while obviously of great benefit, possibly do not go far enough. For example, while pool fences are absolutely essential, children have been known to get over them, through them and sometimes even under them, leading to fatalities. Every pool should be fenced, without exception, but we should not stop there. Pool alarms can act as a life-saving backup and can help save lives.

Steven Lewsen, a former Ambulance Officer and first-aid instructor, specializing in childhood first-aid and safety, knows how quickly a child can drown. "Having attended numerous drownings over the years, I know how quickly a drowning can occur and as such I watch my children constantly whenever we are anywhere near a water hazard", he says. "But I won’t let them out of the car until the Turtle is strapped to their wrists. Constant supervision is definitely the key to drowning prevention, but we are all human and errors can occur, especially when there are lots of people and distractions present. Of course, a lapse in supervision should not be allowed to occur, but this does not mean that it will not occur. No product could ever substitute for the watchful eyes of a parent or carer, but the Safety Turtle provides an additional layer of protection, which can make the difference between life and death."

Mr Lewsen says that when he first tested the Turtle, by simply dropping it into a glass of water after plugging in the base station, he heard the alarm screaming out from the kitchen within a second. "A cold shiver ran down my spine", he says. "I realized immediately that technology of this nature has serious potential to help save lives."

The Safety Turtle has been featured three times on Oprah Winfrey’s popular TV show, has been recommended by the Good Housekeeping Institute in the USA and has been displayed as one of Canada’s brightest innovations at the Canadian Science and Technology Museum in Ottawa. Overseas, Safety Turtle has been featured widely, including on The View, Good Morning America, the Today Show, Michael Holigan’s Your New House, Travel Gear, Global News, CTV News and CBS, NBC and Fox.

Rick Hega, Executive Director of the Canadian Lifesaving Society in July/August 2003 stated that the Safety Turtle is very helpful as an added precaution. Money Sense, September 2002, "101 Things Worth the Money" refers to Safety Turtle as "Lifesaver".

The Safety Turtle has even been adapted for use with patients receiving aquatic physiotherapy. The Turtle is mounted onto the top of a cap that the patients wear while in the water. Should a medical problem of some sort occur, causing the patients head to go under the water, the alarm will immediately sound.

In addition, hundreds of pet stores worldwide also sell the Safety Turtle attached to a collar, so that pet owners can protect their beloved animals from drowning.

A multi-layered approach to drowning prevention is the best way to bring down the toddler drowning figures in Australia and pool alarms such as the Safety Turtle should clearly form a part of this multi-layered approach.

Drowning occurs quickly. When a child stops breathing, irreversible brain damage begins to occur within 3 to 4 minutes, so rapid action is required if a life is to be saved. The loud shrieking of a pool alarm might be the last sound a parent wants to hear, but it could be all that stands between life and death should a child somehow get past the watchful eye of a parent and make it into the water.