Whilst the pool is very enjoyable, any pool is very dangerous especially for small children if they are not properly supervised and the safety rules on the board are not adhered to.

 

This is illustrated by a near fatal drowning incident we had here, this July.

 

 A four year boy was pulled from the pool, he was floating under the water and not moving, on the side of the pool he was not breathing and had to given the kiss of life , before he started to breathe . He was rushed to hospital and kept in for two days. Luckily he is OK and suffered no lasting damage.

 

At the time of the incident the pool was full of other children and adults , but they were busy and did not see him. The family had only arrived that afternoon. The mother was in the garden area, both the little boy and his seven year old sister were in the pool, he could not swim and had no arm bands or rubber ring.

 

This is the reason for the pool rules, that children under 12 should be supervised by an adult and that no lilos or large inflatable’s are allowed in the pool other than rubber rings, as if there were lilos or large inflatable’s such as boats or crocodiles in the pool then the little boy would not have been seen under water and would have probably drowned.

 

We have now also put an additional  notice board by the side of the pool so everyone is aware of the rules for the use of the pool and gardens.

 

This rule that Lilos or any large inflatable’s are not allowed is a Spanish law for safety reasons.

 

We are constantly telling guests of this the relevant legislation it is as follows. Please make sure your guests are aware  

 

Lillos and inflatable’s are dangerous. Owners have a joint responsibility for accidents that occur in their swimming pools. Not all insurance policies cover. This can be avoided with proper signs. And if a pool user breaks the regulations, the police can be called, and the offender can be heavily fined (October 2004 (Source: Guide))
A ban on lillos and inflatable’s in community pools is standard throughout the Valencia  area. Community pools tend to be small, only one or two people choosing to use a lillo or inflatable in a swimming pool means that there is little space left for other users of the pool. Lillos can also be dangerous a child drowned under a lillo in another pool because no one could see what was happening. It's important to bear in mind that owners have joint financial responsibility for any accidents that might occur in their swimming pool. Some insurance policies do not cover the use of lillos and so should there be an accident, owners on the estate may find that they have to dig deep in their pockets to compensate the victim. Where a pool user breaks the regulations, the local police can be called to take action against the offender. The President of the community or some other such authorized person should first warn the offender, and should this warning be ignored, the police can be called. According to article 55 of the same Valencian law on swimming pools, failure to comply with these regulations is an offence punishable by a fine of up to 600 euros in the case of minor infractions, and up to 60 000 euros in the case of more serious infractions.

 

It is essential that all owners make clear to their guests that they must shower before going in the pool, as the reason that pool pumps fail to work is that they become clogged up with suntan oil and may have to close the pool

 

Some owners/guests have been going in the pool when it is closed for cleaning and after the rules of the community allow the use of the pool.

 

The pool is closed for the safety of owners and guests and must not be used when closed or after the hours allowed for use. If anyone does use the pool they are solely responsible for any injury to themselves or others and can be told to leave.