Tragic pool reminders

Watch kids like a hawk

Days after Olympic skier Bode Miller’s little girl drowned in a backyard pool, safety advocates cited the tragedy in urging extra vigilance when it comes to kids and water.

“You're looking in one direction, and it only takes a couple seconds to happen in the other direction,’’ Suffolk County Police Department homicide Lt. Kevin Beyrer said on Tuesday, three days after Miller’s 19-month-old daughter, Emeline, died.

“We definitely get at least one child a year who drowns in a pool,’’ Beyrer told The Post.

“We try to get the word out as much as we can that young children need to be supervised almost one-on-one because it can happen so quickly.’’

Last summer, his department handled the tragedy of twin 3-year-old boys who drowned in their family’s pool in Melville.

The death of Miller’s daughter “brings back horrible memories,’’ Beyrer said, referring to the twins’ drowning.

Abigail Adams, a representative for the American Red Cross of Greater New York, said two things that are crucial for those with a backyard pool are getting it fenced in and making sure your kids are “swim-competent.”

“And never leave the child unattended at the pool, obviously,’’ she said.

Her organization offers water-safety training, as well as tips on its Web site.

A rep for the city’s Parks Department noted that it offers free swimming classes through its Web site.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning kills more children between the ages of 1 and 4 than anything other than birth defects.