PHUKET: Toddler found dead in villa pool

[Lite Beer]

PHUKET: Toddler found dead in villa pool
Darawan Naknakhon

PHUKET: A toddler drowned at a pool villa in Rawai on Friday afternoon (Dec 5) after falling into the swimming pool while his mother slept inside.

The 16-month-old boy, Marcus Pandragon Pierce, was found lying face down in the water by his mother, Thai national Malinda Pierce, 34, after she woke around 7pm.

Mrs Pierce immediately alerted police, who arrived to find the distraught mother holding her son's lifeless body while the father, British national Jass Pierce, 50, sat sobbing nearby.
Investigating officer, Pol Lt. Wuttiwat Liengboonjinda, said there was no evidence of foul play. He believed the toddler had died at least an hour before police arrived on the scene.

Mrs Pierce told police that her husband had gone out to run an errand and had left the door open while she was sleeping.
“I woke up and couldn't see Marcus. I went outside to look for him and found him face down in the pool,” said Mrs Pierce.
Marcus' body was sent to Vachira Hospital for further examination.

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/toddler-found-dead-in-villa-pool-50008.php

-- Phuket News 2014-12-07

[LivinginKata]

Sad, so sad. Something I always worry about when kids use our communal pool without adult supervision.

[terryp]

terrible but let say things straight ..who in their right minds lets a 16 month old just roam around the house with doors open etc while you take a sleep? knowing there is a uncovered pool. The toddler should have been in a baby frame in the bedroom with the mother no excuse

I know this is a terrible thing but I just cant believe how you could just be so complacent with a child so young

[bendywire]

terrible but let say things straight ..who in their right minds lets a 16 month old just roam around the house with doors open etc while you take a sleep? knowing there is a uncovered pool. The toddler should have been in a baby frame in the bedroom with the mother no excuse

I know this is a terrible thing but I just cant believe how you could just be so complacent with a child so young

I doubt they were being complacent as you put it. They have lost their child through tragic unforseen events and you pontificate like the righteous one.

Let's get real and just say that as tragic as this is I hope others learn from their tragic loss.

[lee b]

Shocking so sad for the poor kid and his family. What a tragic end of a young life

[stevenl]

terrible but let say things straight ..who in their right minds lets a 16 month old just roam around the house with doors open etc while you take a sleep? knowing there is a uncovered pool. The toddler should have been in a baby frame in the bedroom with the mother no excuse

I know this is a terrible thing but I just cant believe how you could just be so complacent with a child so young

Not complacent, they made a simple mistake, one they'll regret their whole lives.

I find things like this really tragic, and wish the parents all the best.

[SOTIRIOS]

........sorry ................but that is a sick.............bs......... excuse.................

[MobileContent]

We have a 19 months old buy who is very active too.

This is just so sad not only for the parents but for the boy fighting for his life while drowning.

I almost drowned when I was 5 years old and was rescued by someone that walked by the river.

[Sviss Geez]

........sorry ................but that is a sick.............bs......... excuse.................

...and that is a sick, bs post, there was no excuse made.

Have you got a sticky fullstop key?

[Alwyn]

Tragic. RIP little fella. A parents worst nightmare to outlive your children.

[NamKangMan]

I find myself struggling between being sypathetic to the parents, and then feeling this was very much a preventable death. Pretty much the mixture of posts on this thread, at the time of this post.

This death, whilst unfortunate and tragic, was very much preventable.

At 16 months, as another member suggested, I agree, there should have been a frame around the toddler's bedding. It's possible he was just sleeping on a mattress on the floor - Thai style.

Another member mention it was a "mistake." It must be noted there is a fine line between a "mistake" and neglect, or a failure in their duty of care.

I will not criticize, but just say, "there but for the grace of God go I."

[Ulic]

A tragic story, and of course entirely preventable but nobody feels worse than the

parents so there is no need to pile on. My condolence to the parents, RIP little fella.

[wooloomooloo]

An innocent mistake with disastrous consequences.

When I was a kid staying at my aunty's in a small village during the summer holidays, a three-year old boy living down the road got into the neighbour's garden and drowned in their swimming pool. I imagine the parents' are still torturing themselves nearly forty-years on.

Very sad.

[HooHaa]

terrible but let say things straight ..who in their right minds lets a 16 month old just roam around the house with doors open etc while you take a sleep? knowing there is a uncovered pool. The toddler should have been in a baby frame in the bedroom with the mother no excuse

I know this is a terrible thing but I just cant believe how you could just be so complacent with a child so young

while you have a valid point, the article clearly says the woman was asleep when the father went out leaving the door open.

negligent, perhaps, stupid perhaps, ill-considered perhaps. what is certain is that it was a terrible accident they will be paying for the rest of their lives.

if you have ever raised a child you are aware that there are lapses in judgement, distractions and moments that cause you to let down your guard, fortunately most parents just get a scare.

Edited December 7, 2014 by HooHaa

[Thai at Heart]

terrible but let say things straight ..who in their right minds lets a 16 month old just roam around the house with doors open etc while you take a sleep? knowing there is a uncovered pool. The toddler should have been in a baby frame in the bedroom with the mother no excuse

I know this is a terrible thing but I just cant believe how you could just be so complacent with a child so young

I doubt they were being complacent as you put it. They have lost their child through tragic unforseen events and you pontificate like the righteous one.

Let's get real and just say that as tragic as this is I hope others learn from their tragic loss.

It is tragic, but pools are dangerous things for kids without supervision. It is sad but parents need to have a certain level of paranoia around swimming pools with little kids.

Exactly the same thing happened in a communal pool in a friend moobhan a couple of years ago.

[wedders]

Tragic. Often in Thailand I have seen poorly enclosed private pool areas, and Thai parents and nannies relatively unaware of the risks (compared to Europe). It takes seconds for a child to drown, and frequently there is little or no sound or splashing. I lived next door to a house with unenclosed pool in East Pattaya last year, where the single father of a 18 month daughter left her with a Thai nanny for his 3 month stints working abroad. I just couldn't believe the risks she took with the child.

[Arkady]

This is tragic. I understand that in Australia pool owners with children up the age of 5 are obliged to by law to have a 1 metre fence around the pool to prevent accidents of this type. If they don't comply, they can be held criminally liable for any child deaths that result. I have a friend who lost his toddler in the pool of their rented house in Bkk the same way.