'Significant' fencing safety issues at pool where toddler drowned, inquest hears
Fencing around the pool where a 19-month-old Adelaide boy drowned had safety issues, including a gate missing a hinge that was kept closed with a bicycle lock, an inquest has heard. Warning: This story contains details some readers may find distressing.
The inquest into the drowning of a 19-month-old boy at a backyard swimming pool revealed significant safety issues with the pool's fencing. Built before 1972, the pool likely did not require an application for compliance. Deputy State Coroner Emma Roper was investigating the death of the toddler who drowned in the pool at his family's rented home in Salisbury, Adelaide, in November 2022.
The boy's siblings found him floating in the pool around 5:20pm, and he was rescued by his sister before their mother turned him upside down to drain water from his mouth. Neighbors heard commotion and called for help, and paramedics arrived to perform CPR. The boy was transferred to Women's and Children's Hospital but died seven days later due to severe hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy injury post-cardiac arrest.
The pool gate had a missing top hinge, and there was a bicycle lock used to keep it shut. Salisbury Council pool inspector Jeff Shillabeer found several significant safety issues, including the gate not closing by itself, a gap greater than 10cm under the fence, and climbable objects around the pool. The court heard that the pool's safety regulations only began after 1972, and grandfathered compliance applied to pools built before that time.
The deputy coroner will consider whether improvements could be made to the regulation of older pools, including the implementation of a regular inspection regime for rented homes.
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