There we were, splooshing in the pool, like you do when you’re on holidays and have absolutely nothing better to do. We had ventured into the area the boys nicknamed ‘the hot tub’ – a round circular pool, chest height on me, with a wide bench running around its edge which was perfect for Pink to stand and walk round (making the water just under chest high for her).

I heard a plopping splash behind me and turned to smile at the small boy who had landed with some force a few feet away, having obviously taken a flying leap from the edge. It took a second or two to register he wasn’t actually grinning back at me, and his vague blank surprised look coupled with the fact he wasn’t happily splashing didn’t feel right… I pushed forward the few paces and hauled him up just as his panic-stricken mother appeared at the edge, white and shaken and gabbling her thanks. Her son – 3, maybe 4 – had just laughingly run off (she’d been attempting to apply suncream, and her hands were too slippery to grab him!) and leaped straight in, just not thinking he may be in an area too deep for him.

There were lots of people around, but I was the only one who, by pure chance, happened to see his face and twig he wasn’t just another of the many children leaping in and having fun. He was absolutely fine – and in fact I saw him do the same thing a few more times, but never again without his mother a few feet from him watching him like a hawk!

When I read this post on Mums Rock this morning it rang big bells with me.

Even my husband, a few feet away himself, hadn’t spotted the little boy was in trouble. And a few years ago, my son fell into a freezing river in the middle of winter. At the time, I was amazed at how calm he was in the water (I was right beside him and pulled him straight out), but having read this article I now understand exactly why he didn’t splash and yell. So – please. Read and digest the article. And not just for the sake of your own family’s safety – it takes just a few minutes, and if we all know what to look for, who knows when a life may be saved.

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Posted by Laura on 18 July 2010