Hearing the news of another child drowning in a pool or at the beach, tugs the heartstrings of parents nationwide. No one wants to hear of another parent losing their baby from a preventable accident. Unfortunately, it’s news we hear more often than not and it has of course prompted tougher safety laws around pool ownership.

Another type of drowning that has prompted a warning from a coroner is that of bath drownings. It can take a matter of minutes for a baby or young child to drown in a shallow bath.

The warning comes after a family in Northern Ireland experienced this awful tragedy. Seven-month-old baby Alex McCartney, drowned while taking a bath with is 2-year-old sister. Mother, Joanne Pedlow had stepped out of the bathroom to go downstairs and heat some water up as the kids had been playing outside in the snow.

The mum got distracted by guests at the front door but raced back to the bath when her 2-year-old screamed. Sadly Joanne didn’t make it to the bath in time to save her son.

Her baby had been fitted into a baby bath seat next to his sister and the water was only up to his belly button. Despite the seat being secured to the tub with suction cups and the water being below the level needed for the seat, Alex was able to topple head first into the water.

The mum tried to desperately resuscitate her baby but when paramedics arrived, they couldn’t find Alex’s pulse. Sadly the little boy died in his mum’s arms four days later in hospital.

The coroner hopes the tragedy will prompt parents to never leave their children alone in a bath – even for a minute, as a drowning can happen so quickly.

“This has highlighted the important issue for parents about the dangers posed when a child is left unsupervised for a short period of time and even in the shallowest of water,” stated coroner, Suzanne Anderson, in court. “Hopefully this message will serve to spare the agony this family has had to endure.”