Video: Toddler incident highlights swim ring drowning threat

(Video source: weibo)

The safety of inflatable pool swimming rings has hit the headlines in China after a video emerged of a toddler nearly drowning after the ring she was sitting in flipped over.

The footage shows the little girl tipping over, with her head underwater, struggling for more than a minute before she was rescued by staff, reports the Beijing Youth Daily.

It's understood that the child didn't suffer any serious injuries, but the swimming pool has been closed pending a further investigation.

The incident happened in a baby swimming pool in Zhaoyuan county, east China's Shandong province, on May 16, 2017.

At about 1:15 in the afternoon, the baby girl was playing in a pink seat-style swimming ring in the pool. Moments after a member of staff on duty left the room, she toppled over, ending up with her head under water. The film shows her struggling for about 70 seconds.

The staff member returned and fished the little girl out of the pool, almost lifeless. She was taken to hospital immediately.

The incident has raised concerns over the stability of such swimming rings, attracting much discussion online.

Zhang Yanyan, a mother of a one-year-old baby says parents are advised not to use such rings, which are known to topple easily and could lead to drowning.

A sales director from one large swim ring manufacturer defended production standards, adding that swimming pools can't ensure one hundred percent safety and suggested that adults always supervise babies by staying nearby.

Chen Hao, from the Shaanxi Dezun Law Firm, said pool operators shoulder the responsibility to ensure the safety of customers. If swim rings prove defective, then manufacturers should shoulder the responsibility, says Chen.