Urgent warning to parents over ‘deadly’ TikTok paddling pool hack
COVERING your paddling pool in an old sheet to keep bugs out and save water seems like a no-brainer.
It means less wastage, fewer hours spent refilling, and no need to pick out dead flies and debris when the sun finally comes out.
The viral hack appears so handy that it has been hailed a “lifesaver” on social media by parents looking for an easy ride this summer.
But doing so could actually prove fatal, a swimming instructor has warned.
While convenient, the tip puts kids at an increased risk of drowning, Nikki Scarnati said.
The mum, who issued the advice in a video on TikTok, told her followers: “This is not a hack, it’s a complete drowning risk.
“A child can drown in an inch of water in 20 seconds.
“Leaving a kiddie pool out with water in it is already a drowning risk.
“So don’t put a blanket on top of it because if they fall into it or on top of the blanket, they are going to roll around trying to get out.
“They’re going to get wrapped up in that blanket and they’re not going to be able to get back up.”
Pointing to statistics from the World Health Organization, the swimming teacher and water safety advocate added: “Drowning is the leading cause of death in children under four and it’s the second leading cause in children aged five to 12.
“Do not do this, and do not leave standing water on your property. Kids will find it.
“If you have a kiddie pool on your property, empty it out, flip it over and leave it upside down.”
Nikki, from Florida, US, previously went viral for begging parents not to buy their kids blue swimming costumes.
She said the colour made it almost impossible to see youngsters playing in the water so posed a major safety risk.
The parent also urged mums and dads not to wrap their kids up tightly in a towel after going for a dip as it restricts their limbs.
If they were then to fall into a pool, there is a high chance they could drown, she added.
