Following the death of a 14-month-old baby boy at a villa in Bali on the 19th of October, the CEO of Royal Life Saving Australia, Justin Scarr, has spoken to reporters about ways in which families can best practice safety protocols for their children while on vacation on the island.
The devastating incident took at Villa Besar in Kerobokan in the North Kuta area on 19th October. 14-month-old, Australian-born Khyden James drowned after falling into the unfenced pool at the property. The James family has just returned from a day at a local waterpark at around 7.15 pm. At 7.20 pm, the alarm was raised, and villa staff reported seeing a woman giving CPR to the child.
An ambulance arrived on the scene at 8.30 pm, though paramedics confirmed the death at the scene. He was taken to a local hospital mortuary and was repatriated to Australia on the 22nd of October.
The events of the 19th October have retrospectively been reported to the media by Police Public Relations Officer Avitus Panjaitan, as he confirmed that the family did not report the incident to local police.
Villa Besar, an expansive vacation home, was the destination for a family vacation for seven adults and eight children. The villa has a garden and a large pool that is not fenced off from the rest of the outside area.
In a Facebook post, Khyden’s father described him as “the best baby brother” to his three older siblings. He wrote, “You were so special, my boy – keep shining like the star you are and keep an eye on all of us down here.”
In light of the tragedy, the CEO of Royal Life Saving Australia, Justin Scarr, has issued potentially lifesaving advice to families planning a trip to Bali.
He noted that in Australia and many parts of Europe, there are strict water safety and swimming pool regulations in place. However, these policies and regulations are not in place in Indonesia and many other popular destinations across Asia.
Scarr told reporters, “We’re very privileged and lucky to have very robust pool fencing regulations in Austria, and it’s protecting our children.”
He added, “The growing rate of Australian children has reduced substantially in the last 30 years since those laws came in, but those laws don’t apply to many countries overseas – including Indonesia.”
Scarr continued, “The explosion of villa-style holiday properties means that parents do really need to focus on the vulnerability of their young children in those pools.” He urged parents planning vacations overseas, especially in destinations like Bali, to consider the age of their child, or children, and whether the accommodation is appropriate for their safety.
Scarr added, “The vulnerability changes with the age of the child. The highest rates of drowning in Australia are actually one year old.”
Drowning can happen in a matter of seconds, and the depth of the water plays little part in the risks associated with children drowning in pools and open bodies of water.
Scarr implored parents planning trips to Bali and other such destinations to seriously consider the safety of the pool at the rental property and assess whether it is safer to book a property without a swimming pool.
He told reporters, “If you’re a parent of a very young child – a crawler, an early walker – then those villas are very, very dangerous, and you need to be watching them like a hawk.”
He added, “I would encourage people to reconsider staying in a villa if they have very young children.” Scarr has pointed parents toward the Royal Life Saving Australia website, which has a wealth of information for parents, families, and carers.
This advice includes details on how to keep watch on children around pools and swimming areas and how to teach water safety to children of all ages.
Scarr concluded, “Obviously, it’s a good idea for people to carry a first aid kit while traveling and freshen up their CPR skills. Quite often, in these holiday resorts and remote locations, if you’re called to do CPR in an emergency, it is life-saving.”