On average, four toddlers die every year from bathtub drownings and about 47 are hospitalised.
In September 2014, three-year-old Emmerson Boyle was found floating face down in the bathtub. Her mother Pauline, was gone for a matter of minutes.
A coronial inquest into Emmerson’s death reveals the mum and daughter had been performing their usual bathroom routine.
Pauline was watching over Emmerson in the bath, the pair chatting about the day. News Limited reports that after about 10 minutes, Pauline took Emmerson out of the bath and grabbed a towel.
“No, not that towel, Mum. That’s Josh’s towel,” Emmerson said.
Pauline ran downstairs to get a different towel but when she returned minutes later, she found her daughter face down in the bath tub.
It takes just two minutes for a child to lose consciousness under water, according to Royal Life Saving Society national medical adviser, John Pearn.
Pauline screamed for help and her son ran to alert neighbours who frantically contacted emergency services.
The inquest has found a neighbour had been performing CPR on Emmerson for almost 18 minutes before the fire crew turned up. The young girl was being revived for almost 25 minutes when the ambulance arrived.
Speaking to media, Pauline said she didn’t blame emergency services for her daughters death.
Related stories
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
Native ad body.
