Mum issues urgent warning after eight-year-old daughter nearly drowned in jacuzzi

Whenever you're feeling stressed, nothing fixes you up quite like a long dip in a jacuzzi.

But for one mother in the US, her jacuzzi left her feeling anything but calm, when her daughter nearly drowned in it.

Adrienne Exum is now speaking out to warn other parents about safety risks that come with jacuzzis.

Adrienne's daughter, Elizabeth, was relaxing in the family spa, before she began screaming for help.

Pixabay

Once Adrienne and her husband ran to her aid, she saw what the issue was.

Elizabeth's hair had gotten tangled in a suction valve of the jacuzzi.

Adrienne explained the terrifying incident in a Facebook post: "Elizabeth went under the water to rinse her hair. The suction valve quickly sucked her hair through the holes in the suction cover, pinning her under the water.

"Thankfully, the water wasn’t covering her mouth and she was able to scream for help. Had the water been any higher or had we not been in the room, the outcome may have been very different."

To free their daughter, they drained the water and began threading her hair out of the valve.

Adrienne recalled: "We were prepared to cut it off, but since she was not in any harm, we took a few minutes to save her hair."

Adrienne Exum

As a result of the harrowing experience, Adrienne wanted to issue a warning to other parents.

She said: "We’ve never even thought of something like this happening and we want others to be aware."

Even though this happened in January 2020, it is still being reshared online to spread awareness.

It was posted by Australian paediatric nurse Sarah Hunstead, who runs the children's safety page CPR Kids.

She wrote: "We wanted to share this again while some of our followers continue school holiday/summer trips.

"⁠Please, make sure your kids know to NEVER put their heads under the water in a spa bath and hair should always be tied up.⁠

"We are so grateful to Adrienne for sharing her family’s ordeal as an important reminder to others, and we are so relieved Elizabeth was OK."

Many parents took to the comments to share their sympathies.

One parent wrote: "Makes me feel sick at the thought of it."

Similarly, another commenter admitted: "OK I no longer want a spa outside!"

Another added: "Yes we have talked to the kids about this. Luckily they aren’t allowed to have it on unless we are in there."

Topics: Parenting

Ben Thompson