Parents being urged to put down their phones and watch their children at public pools

Parents are being reminded to put down their phones and pay attention when their children are in the water at public pools across the state.

Brunswick Baths has put up a sign saying ‘Watch Your Child, Not Your Phone’.

Paul Shannon, General Manager for Life Saving Victoria, said he had witnessed parents’ inattention as their children swam nearby.

“It is absolutely amazing the number of parents who are there looking on their phones, people are doing work and a whole range of things,” he said.

“When you consider 20 seconds is all it takes for a child to drown, you never forget the look of a child on the bottom of a pool looking up at you, metres from the edge looking for assistance, it’s a pretty serious issue.

“Active supervision is really got to be more than sitting of the side of the pool looking at your 4-year-old, if we are talking kids up to 5 you need to be in the water, have them within arms reach.

Tom Elliott questioned why pools offered free wifi.

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