Royal Life Saving Australia CEO shares advice after baby drowns in Bali

The death of an Australian baby in Bali has left many parents wondering what they can do to protect their children while on holiday in countries with relaxed swimming pool laws.

Khyden James, 14 months old, tragically drowned in the unfenced swimming pool of Villa Besar in Kerobokan, north of Kuta, on October 19.

His family had returned to the villa from a water park just five minutes before the alarm was raised that a baby was drowning in the pool at 7.20pm.

Unlike Australia, pool fences in Indonesia are not a legal requirement but can usually be rented locally.

Justin Scarr, CEO of Royal Life Saving Australia, told Daily Mail Australia that at one point British children were more likely to drown abroad than in Britain.

Australians are similarly spoiled with strict water safety and swimming pool rules, so drowning isn’t always at the forefront of the minds of traveling parents.

“We are very privileged and fortunate that in Australia we have very strict pool fencing regulations and it protects our children,” Mr Scarr said.

‘Drownings among Australian children have fallen significantly over the last 30 years since these laws came into effect, but those laws do not apply to many countries abroad, including Indonesia.

‘The explosion of villa-style holiday homes means parents really need to focus on the vulnerabilities of their young children in those pools.’

Justin Scarr, CEO of Royal Life Saving Australia, explained that many countries do not have the same strict pool safety laws as Australia, requiring parents to be more active in supervising their children

The first thing Mr Scarr urges parents heading abroad to consider is the age of their child and whether their accommodation is suitable for their little one’s safety.

‘The vulnerability changes with the age of the child. TThe highest drowning rates in Australia are actually annuals,” he said.

‘When parents of one to two year olds book one of these holiday villas they really need to understand that there is a significant risk of their child drowning.

‘No fencing means constant adult supervision.

“If you’re a parent of a very young child — a crawler, an early walker — those villas are very, very dangerous and you have to watch them like a hawk.”

However, the increased supervision does not only apply to very young children.

“I would encourage people not to stay in a villa if they have very young children,” Scarr said.

‘If the children are older, such as toddlers who can swim, the parents still need to keep a constant eye on them.

‘They should also take into account rough play in the pool, which also carries an increased risk of drowning.’

Mr Scarr also urged parents to brush up on their own water safety skills and those of their children.

‘There are some really great resources on the Royal Life Saving website about basic water safety involving children, so it’s a good idea to check that out,” he said.

‘We want to encourage people to take their children to swimming lessons to brush up on their skills in a structured way.

‘A few weeks abroad at a resort pool is a great way to build their swimming confidence and skills, but you really need to assess their skills before you go.’

However, one of the biggest pieces of advice Mr Scarr had to offer was for parents to focus on first aid knowledge during their holiday preparations.

Mr Scarr advised parents with very young children to avoid accommodation without pool fencing

“It’s clearly a good idea for people to carry a first aid kit with them when traveling so they can brush up on their CPR skills,” he said.

‘In these holiday resorts and remote locations, being called for CPR in an emergency is often life-saving

‘You can also be alone without quick help and we know that when it comes to resuscitating drowning children, early resuscitation is critical.”

Various information packs are available on the Royal Life Saving Australia website, including resources for swimming pool and waterway safety.