A New Jersey father warns other parents that mermaid tail swimsuits cause drowning to children. On June 28, Adam Lisberg said that his two daughters wore the accessory while swimming in their inflatable pool. His five-year-old daughter almost drowned while playing in the two-feet deep pool.
Lisberg told TODAY Parents that his two daughters love mermaids. Annabelle, 5, and Ruby, 7, owned mermaid tail swimsuits in the past and had used them so many times until they got worn out. He knew that the tails make it hard for the girls to kick or walk. He and his wife figured that the pool was only two-feet deep, so they thought the kids were safe.
Lisberg and his wife regularly watch their three kids while they play in the pool. On Sunday though, their son Ben, wanted to make guacamole. He mentioned it to his parents only after smashing the avocados.
How it happened
Lisberg said they always have watchful eyes on their kids. He thought that the kids were watching each other, and they were right below the kitchen, which had windows opened, so he could hear them; he figured it was safe to proceed with his son's request. He even had a false alarm upon hearing the girls' crying noises, but they were just playing.
A few minutes later, Ruby rushed in and said that Annabelle was not moving. Lisberg saw that her daughter was lying on her side with arms inside the mermaid tail. The girl was not breathing, but she responded after her dad performed rudimentary CPR. Annabelle stayed in the hospital for two days.
This is a scary story starring my daughter Annabelle. I’m telling it as a warning about kids, pools and swimsuits because I don’t want anyone else’s kids to end up in the ER or the ICU, like she did for two days. 1/ pic.twitter.com/uI5vLlATJE — Adam Lisberg (@adamlisberg) July 1, 2020
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Ruby saw her sister underwater and not responding, so she immediately got her out of the water. Annabelle said that she was playing potato and pulled her arms inside the suit. After she pulled up the suit to her shoulders, she ended up under the water.
Lisberg said that Annabelle tried to pull off, but she could not move her hands. He said that only bubbles came out when she tried to talk. He thinks that it put his daughter into shock after realizing she could not do anything.
Mermaid suit can be a safety hazard
Dr. Suzette Oyeku agreed with Lisberg that mermaid tail suits could be dangerous. She is the chief of the Division of Academic General Pediatrics at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore in Bronx, New York. She said that if a swimsuit prevents the kid's arms or legs from moving and prevents them from floating, it can be a safety hazard.
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She does not advise anything that obstructs a child's ability to wade through the water. Mermaid tail suits, even if cute, could cause drowning.
Lisberg and his wife both feel guilty for not being able to watch the girls in the pool every second. Thankfully, their older daughter saved her sister. The dad of three urges parents not to buy mermaid suits for their children. Further, he adds that anyone who has that suit should never go near water.
