Last Monday, another seasonal drowning happened to a child in Sainte-Appolinaire. The child’s death was declared a few hours later at the hospital.

Around noon, the Sûreté du Québec was called to assist paramedics in connection with a cardiorespiratory arrest that occurred on rue Dufresne, in Saint-Apollinaire. “Resuscitation maneuvers were carried out on the body. The victim was rushed to a hospital in Québec where there is reason to fear for his life,” explained SQ spokesperson Hélène St-Pierre. The police subsequently confirmed, around 5 p.m., the death of the child. A coroner’s investigation is underway, in which major crime investigators are participating since it concerns the death of a child under 6 years old.

Drowning remains the leading cause of death among children aged 1 to 4 years. And in most cases, these young people drown in residential swimming pools, after accidentally falling into the water, without adult supervision. However, to prevent drowning, there are simple ways to secure your swimming pool in summer.

This is where the Quebec government’s Residential Swimming Pool Safety Regulations come into play. Mainly aimed at controlling access to residential swimming pools, it requires the implementation of easy-to-apply measures that protect young children against drowning, fatal or non-fatal.

For example, for in-ground and semi-in-ground swimming pools, it is required to install a fence with a minimum height of 1.2 m so that no child can climb it, and to equip it with a gate. safety lock that closes and locks automatically. In addition, the fence must prevent the passage of a ball measuring 10 cm in diameter, between its bars as well as between the ground and its lowest part.  Municipalities are responsible for applying the Regulations respecting the safety of residential swimming pools. A municipal permit is also required for all work related to the installation of a swimming pool as well as the surrounding development, such as a terrace, a platform, or an enclosure.