A family gathering in Hughson Friday night turned tragic when a 2-year-old girl drowned in a hot tub.
The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department said the drowning occurred at a home in the 7500 block of Palma Drive around 8:30 p.m. The name of the 2-year-old has not been released.
It's not known how the girl got into the hot tub, but the sheriff's department did say no foul play was indicated and it appeared to be a tragic accident.
Family members pulled the girl from the hot tub and began cardiopulmonary resuscitation. An off-duty deputy was near the home and took over CPR until emergency medical technicians arrived.
The 2-year-old was transported to a nearby hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Friday's death marked the second hot tub-related fatality in the area this year. In March an 18-month-old boy fell into a hot tub in Denair. He was briefly revived by personnel from the Denair Fire Department, but died hours later at the Children's Hospital Central California in Madera.
The Washington D.C.-based National Safe Kids Campaign reports that drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 14 and the leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children ages 1 to 4.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison's study on children and drowning recommends the following safety precautions:
• Closely supervise children around a hot tub or spa. And have a phone nearby to call for help in an emergency.
• Don't allow underwater play in a hot tub. Hot tub and spa jets and drains can suck hair in, trapping a child underwater. Explain to children that hot tubs and spas aren't swimming pools or places for active play.
• Know where the pump cutoff switch is located so that it can be turned off in an emergency.
• Keep a locked safety cover on the hot tub or spa when it's not in use. If a drain cover is missing or broken, shut down the spa until the drain cover is repaired or replaced.
• Don't allow the water temperature to exceed 104°F (40°C) in hot tubs and spas. Drowning has occurred from extremely hot water, which can cause drowsiness and loss of consciousness. Heatstroke is another danger.
• Install a door alarm, a window alarm, or both to alert you if an unattended child wanders into the hot tub area.
