Are Puddle Jumpers Dangerous For Kids? Mothers Recount Scary Experience

puddle jumpers puddle jumpers dangerous Stacy Jensen Morgan Miller Bode Miller Drowning false sense of security Pamela Fuselli swimming lessons life jackets

By Lilian Scott , Parent Herald Jul 03, 05:26 am

Photo: (Photo : Michelle Raponi/Pixabay)

As restrictions are eased down with summer in full swing in the U.S., families will be enjoying a dip in the pool with their children. However, a couple of mothers recounted their scary and heartbreaking experience when they learned that puddle jumpers are dangerous for kids.

Like most parents, Utah mom Stacy Jensen let her children wear puddle jumpers in the swimming pool. This popular, brightly colored floatation device, which is also called water wings or swim aid, is designed like pads worn on the children's arms to help them become comfortable in the water.

Jensen said that her 5-year-old child, Savannah, had been wearing her puddle jumpers when she jumped in the water and then struggled to stay afloat. Savannah did not have her life jacket on, making it harder to get her bearing as her water wings pulled her in a drowning position.

Fortunately, the older kids saw what was happening to Savannah and helped her get to the safe side of the pool, just as Jensen was getting ready to dive in to save her child. The mom said she's grateful that someone else was watching over Savannah, but some parents have not been so lucky.

False Sense of Security

Morgan Miller, a professional beach volleyball player and the wife of Olympian Bode Miller, lost her 19-month-old daughter Emeline during a pool party in 2018. She shared in a social media post that puddle jumpers give parents a "false sense of security" that their kids will be safe in the water.

"Had I known then, what I know now, my daughter would still be alive," Miller wrote.

The mother said that the number one concern of parents, especially for those with children under the age of 5 years old, should be water safety as drowning is the leading cause of death for kids at this age.

Pamela Fuselli, the CEO of the injury prevention organization Parachute, said that puddle jumpers did not go through the rigorous testing process even though the Coast Guard approved the use of the flotation device. While some parents might consider puddle jumpers similar to life jackets, they are not made in the same material.

Proper Swimming Lessons

Fuselli said that if parents want their children to become comfortable in the water, they should enroll them in actual swimming lessons and get the proper training at four or six months old. Remarkably, this is an excellent phase for babies to learn to swim, and it could also be a fun bonding experience for the kids and their parents.

Parents must also replace puddle jumpers and stick with letting their children wear life jackets as these are better designed for children to swim in the proper position. Additionally, parents should let their children wear brightly colored swimsuits in the water. This way, the children will be easier to spot if they are having trouble.

Parents should always watch over their children if they are in the pool. Adults should never leave their kids alone in the water, especially when most drowning incidents happen for less than five minutes.