This morning I took DD2 to the pool for her swimming lesson and we were playing in the water before it started. I looked to my left and a pre-schooler boy was tip-toeing along in the water with a floating barbell thing.

I turned to DD2 and when I looked back the boy had lost his grip on the floating thing and couldn't get his mouth and nose above the water. I could see the fear in his eyes as he was struggling to get a breath but all he could get was water. I raced over, grabbed his hand and lifted him up to the step at the edge of the pool. He had clearly taken on a lot of water and was coughing and vomiting up.

His mother didn't get to him for over a minute after that as she had 2 other children with her. The poor little boy was so scared and crying his eyes out. If I hadn't been there and looked around to keep an eye on him who knows what could have happened.

Parents PLEASE keep your children in arm's reach if they cannot swim strongly or touch the bottom of the pool flat footed and keep their mouth and nose above the water!

It only takes a couple of minutes for a child to drown - and I NEVER want to see a child like that again.