Mother's terror as boy, five, almost drowns during horrific hot tub ordeal

Almost drowned: Sam Leathes
Hannah Al-Othman20 June 2016

A mother today told how her young son almost drowned when he was sucked into the drain of a hot tub while on holiday.

Lucinda Leathes said she was staying at a villa with her family in South Africa when her five-year-old, Sam, became trapped under water.

The 38-year-old, from Wandsworth, said her son was caught by the drain as he immersed himself in the tub while playing with her and his brother Alfie, seven.

After a few seconds, Mrs Leathes realised her son had not surfaced. When she reached down to pull him up she realised he had become trapped under the water.

Injuries: Sam was left with scarring on his stomach

“I could see his blue and white shorts under the bubbles and put my arm down to help him up. It was like pulling on a lump of concrete," she said.

"I thought I was imagining it but quickly realised this was a really, really bad situation and I screamed for help."

The youngster had passed over the hot tub’s drain while under the water, and his stomach had covered the grill.

The suction and pressure of the water caused his flesh to cover and seal the drain, creating a vaccuum.

Mrs Leathes' husband Tim and her uncle were upstairs in the villa with the couple's baby daughter and heard her screams and raced to help.

The three fought to pull Sam out from under the water, but the pressure meant they were unable to free him.

Recovered: Lucinda Leathes with her son Sam

Mrs Leathes said: “At first I thought his foot was stuck and we couldn’t see clearly through the bubbles but when two grown men were pulling on him and he wouldn’t come up I realised it was the drain and they were pulling against all that pressure and all that water. I thought that was it – he would be dead.”

As the two men pulled Sam, Mrs Leathes frantically seached for the hot tub’s control buttons, and as none were labelled, she pressed them all hoping to switch it off.

Eventually, the men felt the vacuum release and Sam was pulled - floppy, unconscious and blue - from the water.

Mrs Leathes’ uncle, who is a doctor, rushed to his aid and Sam recovered quickly from the ordeal in April.

The youngster was sick, but came round after a few seconds.

Mrs Leathes is now working with the Royal Life Saving Society UK to raise awareness of the risks of allowing children to use hot tubs.

Strong swimmer: Sam became trapped under the water

She said: “This hot tub was small and shallow and, although I knew they recommend only over 16s go in them, I thought it was because of the heat or bacteria and as I was right next to Sam, touching him, I thought he was safe. I would never have ever thought of the danger of drains.

“I would urge people to be aware of the risks of hot tubs, and indeed any water, especially while on holiday with unfamiliar pools and hot tubs and varying safety laws.

“I am so, so grateful that Sam is okay, he has scars on his tummy, but thankfully didn’t realise the gravity of what had happened. We were lucky but I do not want anything like this happening to anyone else.”

RLSS UK’s CEO, Di Steer, added: “Tragically, we work with many families who have lost loved ones in drowning incidents, in all different circumstances and we are so grateful to Lucinda for being brave enough to tell her story and possibly save the lives of others who may not be aware of these dangers.

“We urge people to please always take time to look for and identify any potential water dangers when at home or, particularly on holiday when people’s guards are down and they are relaxing and less familiar with their surroundings.”

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