Shallow water is dangerous too

Shallow water and child risk

• Multiple stories describe near‑drownings or deaths in very shallow water: fountains, puddles, bathtubs, mop buckets, and kiddie-pool depths (<30 cm / ~1 ft).
• Several commenters emphasize that drowning can be silent and extremely fast; parents often won’t hear a fall or struggle.
• A recurring theme: kids can drown if they fall unconscious face‑down, get trapped upside down in floatation devices, or simply can’t get their mouth above the surface.

Regulation vs “nanny state”

• One view: any standing water feature below ~1 m high should be fenced if children are expected; Australia is cited as an example of strict fencing laws plus lifeguard requirements, correlated with fewer pool drownings of under‑4s.
• The opposing view: broad fencing rules are overreach, costly, and often based on “if it saves one life” logic without clear causation; parents should supervise and teach swimming instead.
• There is debate over whether strict rules should apply even where no children live or to all bodies of water vs only pools.

Teaching kids to swim & inequality

• Some say early swimming lessons (from infancy) are normal and even part of school curricula in parts of Europe, credited with big reductions in drownings.
• Others argue it’s common in many parts of the US too, especially where water is central to life (e.g., hot climates, high pool density).
• A long subthread covers access barriers: cost, scheduling, geography, and historical closure or segregation of public pools; swimming proficiency correlates with socioeconomic status and race.
• Some argue public provision of lessons is a basic state responsibility; others say access via YMCAs, city pools, churches, etc. is already sufficient and the main gap is parental prioritization.

Recognizing and responding to drowning

• Shared resources stress that drowning is quiet and doesn’t look like movie-style splashing; key indicators include vertical posture, glassy eyes, gasping, and no forward progress.
• Autistic children are noted as having dramatically elevated drowning risk, especially under non-parent supervision.
• Several anecdotes highlight how crucial constant visual supervision is, regardless of flotation aids.

Other water hazards and safety heuristics

• Wave pools, low-head dams, riptides, and floodwaters are repeatedly called out as unusually dangerous and hard to lifeguard.
• Some surfers describe routinely rescuing people from riptides; advice is to understand currents rather than fight them.
• A simple rule offered for child safety focus: “cars, dogs, and water” as everyday things that can kill quickly with little warning.
• Brief tangents debate whether fear of heights is innate vs learned, and poke fun at exaggerated non-water hazards (e.g., garage door springs).

Meta: relevance to HN

• One commenter questions why this story is front-page material; others note HN’s “second chance pool” and broader remit of intellectually interesting, safety-related discussions, especially when comments are substantive.