DROWNING SORROWS

Man dead, toddler critical after pool incidents

A MAN has drowned and a toddler is in specialist care, adding to more than 350 people who have either drowned or nearly drowned on the Gold Coast in three years. Staggering statistics from Queensland Ambulance Service reveal drowning or neardrowning incident numbers are not improving.

A MAN has drowned and a toddler is in specialist care, adding to more than 350 people who have either drowned or nearly drowned on the Gold coast in three years.

On Saturday, a 42-year-old man from Runaway Bay drowned at Oxley Dve, Paradise Point about 3pm.

Paramedics also took a little girl to Lady Cilento Hospital in a critical condition after nearly drowning in her family’s backyard pool about 6pm.

Queensland Ambulance Services senior operations supervisor Pat Berry said the two incidents were tragic and locals needed to be especially vigilant with friends and families around water during the hot weather.

“The circumstances leading up to the (fatal drowning) event are unclear,” he said. “A group of people were there, we are presuming there was a party and he has taken a swim in a pool ... and was found a brief time later, unconscious.”

CPR was performed on the man for at least half an hour after her was removed from the pool. He was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital but pronounced dead shortly after arriving. The death is not suspicious and police will prepare a report for the coroner.

Mr Berry said it took paramedics about 45 minutes to revive the Nerang two-year-old after she was found in the pool.

“It’s one of those cases that just tugs on your heart strings,” he said.

After the girl was revived by paramedics, she was taken to Gold Coast University Hospital. Requiring further specialised care meant she was transported to Lady Cilento Hospital in a critical condition.

Saturday’s death was the 17th drowning or neardrowning in the past three months on the Gold Coast.

In recent incidents, a toddler nearly drowned in an Elanora pool four days ago while on February 7 a woman died in the Broadwater at Southport after disappearing while snorkeling.

A day later 22-year old Japanese backpacker Tomoe Ogisu also lost his life after being caught in a rip at Fingal Head.

Staggering statistics from Queensland Ambulance Service reveal drowning or neardrowning incident numbers are not improving.

The data shows in 2015 the number of drowning incidents recorded was 113.

Fast forward to 2017 and there were 129 incidents on the Gold Coast. In 2016, incidents tallied 131.

Paramedics believe the numbers can be changed with CPR and basic swimming skills.

QAS senior operations supervisor Justin Payne has seen 13 years of drownings and said bad CPR was better than not doing CPR at all.

“When we get the call that a child is in a near-drowning situation, the only thing we are thinking of is their survival,” he said. “Of course it is very disappointing when we realise these scenarios could’ve been easily avoided.

“It is never too late to learn how to swim or how to do CPR and I find a lot of people who have done CPR years ago are too nervous to use it, but it could potentially save a life.”