Pool suction drain injury, also known as suction entrapment, occurs when the

drain Drain may refer to: Objects and processes * Drain (plumbing), a fixture that provides an exit-point for waste water or for water that is to be re-circulated on the side of a road * Drain (surgery), a tube used to remove pus or other fluids from ...

of a

wading pool A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built above ground (as ...

, swimming pool, hot tub, or

fountain A fountain, from the Latin "fons" (genitive "fontis"), meaning source or spring, is a decorative reservoir used for discharging water. It is also a structure that jets water into the air for a decorative or dramatic effect. Fountains were ori ...

sucks in a swimmer's jewelry,

torso The torso or trunk is an anatomical term for the central part, or the core, of the body of many animals (including humans), from which the head, neck, limbs, tail and other appendages extend. The tetrapod torso — including that of a huma ...

, limbs, hair or

buttock The buttocks (singular: buttock) are two rounded portions of the exterior anatomy of most mammals, located on the posterior of the pelvic region. In humans, the buttocks are located between the lower back and the perineum. They are compose ...

s. Evisceration, also known as disembowelment, could happen in case of buttock entrapment. A standard main drain can develop up to of force, which could hold a person underwater in tight grip until the suction is released. This can

drown Drowning is a type of suffocation induced by the submersion of the mouth and nose in a liquid. Most instances of fatal drowning occur alone or in situations where others present are either unaware of the victim's situation or unable to offer as ...

the entrapped person, despite the rescue efforts of multiple adults. One way to make drains safer is to install shut-off valves and dome-shape drains that are less likely to create a suction effect with the human body, as required in the United States by the 2007

Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act The Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA) is a United States law named after Virginia Graeme Baker, who died after sustaining a pool suction-drain injury in June 2002, when the suction from a spa drain entrapped her under the water. I ...

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 Johnny Reid Edwards (born June 10, 1953) is an American lawyer and former politician who served as a U.S. senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for vice president in 2004 alongside John Kerry, losing to incumbents George ...

. * Virginia Graeme Baker, June 2002. Granddaughter of former Secretary of State

James Baker James Addison Baker III (born April 28, 1930) is an American attorney, diplomat and statesman. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 10th White House Chief of Staff and 67th United States Secretary of the Treasury under President ...

. She drowned, but her official cause of death was "suction entrapment due to a faulty drain cover". Congress passed a pool safety act under her name in 2007. *Abigail Taylor, 2007. She died in 2008 as a result of her injuries despite subsequent surgeries. Scott and Katey Taylor, her parents, lobbied for the Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act, which was passed the year of Abigail's injury. *Evan Pappas. 2018, South Carolina. Known for surviving an entrapment of 7 minutes 40 seconds in a lazy river.

Egypt

*Salma Bashir. 2008, Alexandria. During a holiday with her family, she was disemboweled while in the kids' swimming pool. As of the time of the report, she was fed by a TPN bag and was waiting for a multiple organ transplant.

References

{{reflist Injuries Drowning Swimming pools