Pool suction-drain injury

Pool suction drain injury, also known as suction entrapment, occurs when the drain of a wading pool or swimming pool suck in a swimmer's jewelry, torso, limbs, hair or buttocks. Evisceration, also known as disembowelment, could happen in case of buttock entrapment. A standard 8 inches (20 cm) main drain exerts 350 pounds of pressure, which would hold the person in water in tight grip until either the vacuum valve is broken, or the person drowns, defying the rescue efforts of multiple adults. [1]

Notable cases

United States

  • Valerie Lakey. 1993, North Carolina. She received a $25 million settlement. It was a landmark case of lawyer (later Senator) John Edwards.
  • Virginia Graeme Baker, 2002. Granddaughter of former Secretary of State James Baker. The Congress passed a pool safety act under her name in 2007.
  • Evan Pappas. 2018, South Carolina. Known for surviving an entrapment of 7 minute 40 seconds in a lazy river.[2]

References

  1. Dumas, Bob (October 2003). "Troubled Waters". Pool and Spa News. Los Angeles: Hanley Wood LLC. Archived from the original on 2011-07-15.
  2. "How a child survived eight terrifying minutes trapped underwater". Washington Post. 2018-05-01.
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