Sad reminder to Aussie parents after boy drowns in fish tank
It is believed Jugad Singh Bath was only briefly out of sight from his dad when tragedy struck.
The death of an 11-month old boy who drowned in a fish tank has brought into focus how shallow water can still pose a fatal risk to toddlers. Australian charity Kidsafe, dedicated to child injury prevention, is warning parents in the wake of the unthinkable tragedy that only centimetres of water is enough for toddlers to drown in.
Jugad Singh Bath was in the backyard of his family home in Pakenham, Melbourne when he fell into an in-ground fish tank while momentarily out of sight from his father. Despite swift intervention, the toddler was later pronounced brain-dead in hospital several days later.
The incident is a "tragic" reminder for parents to be vigilant, with seemingly harmless bodies of water still posing a risk.
"We know that toddlers are top heavy and if they fall into water, because their head is [disproportionally] bigger ... they do struggle to get out of even 30 centimetres of water," a Kidsafe spokesperson told Yahoo News Australia. "They can drown if they're exposed to even a shallow amount of water."
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How to protect toddlers from risk
Parents are advised to "risk assess" homes and yards and take all bodies of water into consideration, from ponds and swimming pools, and even things as small as eskies and dog bowls.
"We don't always need to cover the fish pond or cover dog bowls but when you've got a toddler who is unstable on their feet, and can fall, make a judgement about about their age and stage of their development," the spokesperson said.
The Singh Bath family now face significant medical costs after the incident last month, with a colleague of Jugah's dad creating a GoFundMe page last week to help fundraising efforts.
According to The Herald Sun, a video camera at the family's home contained vision which showed the moment the toddler fell head first into the small tank. Friends of the family said there was only a small amount of water in the tank at the time.
"The family, residing here on a student visa, are facing substantial medical costs," the GoFundMe page reads.
"Although insurance covered a part of these expenses, [the boy's father] Jagwant is left with the heartbreaking task of arranging his son's funeral and other related costs."
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