In a significant safety warning that affects families nationwide, over 5 million above-ground pools are on the recall list after nine children tragically drowned. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the recall this week for pools sold by major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Amazon. The recalled models, from Bestway, Intex Recreation, and Polygroup, pose a drowning risk as their compression straps can create inadvertent footholds for children to climb into the pools.
The CPSC issued a recall for pools that stand 48 inches or taller which have been sold since 2002. According to ABC Action News, these pools have straps that wrap around the pool's exterior and over the vertical support legs, which can enable a child to access the pool and, potentially drown. The nine reported drownings involved children between 22 months old and 3 years old occurred across six states from 2007 to 2022.
In a joint statement reported by ABC News, the three companies expressed their "shared commitment to customer safety." They went on to explain, "While most above-ground pools 48 inches or taller in height currently being sold today have already addressed this concern, to ensure that these changes can be applied to all above-ground pools sold since 2002 that are 48 inches or taller in height, we are jointly announcing a voluntary recall."
The fix involves a free repair kit that customers can obtain from the companies. According to FOX Business, the kit includes a rope that attaches to the pool's vertical support poles at ground level, which maintains the structural integrity after the compression strap is removed. Despite the recall and repair kits availability, parents are advised to keep pools inaccessible to children or drained until the fix can be implemented. Approximately 266,000 of the recalled pools were sold in Canada, as well as the millions sold in the U.S.
Consumers who own these pools can, and should, immediately contact Bestway, Intex, and Polygroup for the necessary repair kits.
