Mermaid tails hinder kids in pools

CHILDREN who wear mermaid tails and single-fin pool toys are at greater risk of drowning because their ability to swim is reduced by up to 70 per cent, a study has found.

The Perth-based review commissioned by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, and conducted by the Royal Life Saving Society of WA, compared the swimming performance of 25 children aged two to 12, before and after they wore the toys.

It found the mermaid fin hindered a child’s ability to swim by 70 per cent while the tail reduced it by 60 per cent, with the greatest impact recorded on younger children.

The ACCC has recommended restricting the products to children over the age of 10 and increasing adult supervision.