Mother’s Urgent Summer Safety Message After 6-Year-Old Escapes Death By Swimming Pool Filter

Darcey Morgan was on a five-star family vacation in the Canary Islands with her family and friends when her hair became trapped in a swimming pool filter. The six-year-old from Leeds was playing in the swimming pool at the H10 Rubicon Palace in Lanzarote in April when it appears her hair became stuck in the pool’s filter.

News Australia reported that Darcey was dragged underwater and held there for two minutes. She was rushed to hospital where it was discovered she was suffering from head injuries, lung damage, and low oxygen levels.

According to Darcey’s mother, Alex, just two days before Darcey’s accident another child’s shorts were shredded when they too became stuck in the filter. Ms Morgan claims that the faulty filter had been reported to the hotel four times, but nothing was done.

Calling the incident “the worst day of our lives,” Alex said that she is still “struggling to come to terms with it.”

“Darcey had been swimming in the pool with her cousin when her hair became stuck and it was only after a man noticed she had been under the water for a while that she was found.”

Darcey’s mother continued, explaining that the man was joined by a woman, and the pair succeeded in pulling Darcey’s hair free of the pool filter, causing the six-year-old to lose “four clumps of hair.”

“But that’s nothing because hair grows back, life doesn’t.”

The six-year-old had been underwater for at least two minutes when she was pulled unconscious from the pool and CPR was administered. Darcey was then rushed to hospital.

It was only after Darcey had been rushed to hospital that Ms. Morgan was told by at least three other people that they had reported the faulty filter to the hotel.

“The hotel showed no sympathy and we had no apology. The manager just said that in 15 years of that swimming pool being there, they had never had any problems.”

Saying that they had “no help from the hotel staff,” Darcey’s mother expressed her gratitude to the couple who pulled her daughter to safety.

Ms. Morgan wanted to warn other parents of the dangers of pool filters, so she took to social media and shared photos of Darcey lying in her hospital bed. These posts have led to her being contacted by many other families who have had similar experiences.

“I’ve had so many people contacting me to say a similar thing happened to them on their holiday. One person said their son had to have an operation following an accident with the pool filter on a different occasion in a different resort.”

Since Darcey’s frightening experience, Ms. Morgan has received a full refund from tour operator First Choice; however, she said she really wants to see the pool closed down.

“I’ve received a refund, but that’s by-the-by. I don’t care about the money, I want to spread awareness of this and perhaps save another family from going through the same thing.”

Girl nearly drowns after hair gets trapped in pool filter https://t.co/UkK8uRN5HR pic.twitter.com/AF1p4k1EEW

— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 1, 2017

In the meantime, First Choice claim that the incident whereby a nine-year-old boy’s shorts were shredded by the pool filter was never reported to them, and they claim there’s no suggestion he was the First Choice customer.

A spokesperson for the TUI Group, which includes First Choice, said that they were “extremely concerned” to hear of the pool filter incident, and alleging that it is the only such incident to have been “reported directly.”

“As soon as we were made aware we started a full and thorough investigation together with relevant external pool experts and our hotel partner. We continue to ensure that the health and safety of all of our holiday-makers is our top priority.”

It’s now one month since Darcey’s terrifying experience in the pool, and her mother says she is doing very well. Plus, her hair is growing back nicely. But, she says she still wants to educate other parents about the dangers of pool filters.

“We had never heard of or thought of the risk posed by these filters until it happened to Darcey. We don’t want any more parents to go through what we experienced that day.”

The Huffington Post reported that the pool filter in question operated the waterfall in the hotel’s swimming pool.

Darcey Morgan was trapped under the water by her hair, unable to swim up to the surface. The force of the swimming pool filter was so strong that Ms. Morgan stated in her May 30 Facebook post that Darcey’s “hair was pulled and pulled before it was ripped.”

Darcey was rushed to a nearby hospital where she underwent tests and x-rays, and was kept under close observation. It was determined that she had fluid on her right lung and her oxygen levels were low.

“Luckily we got to bring Darcey out of hospital the following morning. However, it could have been a completely different ending to our holiday.”

Speaking of the dangers to small children, another mother has issued a warning to parents about the dangers of vacuum cleaners.

Jade Bishop from Maidstone in Kent said her 16-month-old suffered fourth-degree burns after he played with the vacuum cleaner. Like all toddlers, he enjoys copying his mother and pushing the vacuum cleaner, but this particular time it almost ended in tragedy.

Ms. Bishop said that on Sunday, March 12, she turned her vacuum cleaner off and turned her back to unplug it from the wall. That’s when she heard her toddler screaming.

“I hear Theo turn it back on, hear him screaming, I yank the plug from the wall and he has managed to put his thumb in the bottom where the bristles spin at a crazy speed.”

Noticing a “nasty-looking burn on his hand,” Bishop rushed her son to the minor injuries unit, assuming it would be a simple matter of bandaging his thumb: however, Theo was transferred to the Preston Children’s Hospital to see a burns specialist and plastic surgeon.

As it turns out, Theo had fourth-degree burns. Surgeons are predicting he may have restricted movement as he grows, and are considering the possibility of skin grafts. Every three days, Theo’s burn is cleaned and re-dressed, plus he has weekly specialist appointments.

“This is all from no longer than five seconds of having his thumb in that hoover. Please, please, please do not let your children near the vacuum cleaners.”

The toddler’s mother’s posts on social media have received a lot of attention, particularly from parents and grandparents who normally let their little ones play with the vacuum cleaner.

[Featured Image by pskamn/Shutterstock]