Frightening Video Shows Toddler Climbing Locked Pool Ladder

A viral video shows a 2-year-old boy climbing the outside of a locked pool ladder by wedging his little feet into the gate’s open slats.

The Massachusetts family was in their backyard when the child began to climb the locked gate covering the steps to their above-ground pool. The child was able to grab onto the slits in the door and pull himself up. His parents said they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Fortunately, the child’s mother grabbed him before he got into the pool, but not before the couple captured the incident on camera to send a message to other parents.

The video has since been viewed by more than a half-a-million people.

The store where the couple purchased the latter offered a replacement, but all the other gates have a similar design. The couple has reached out to the manufacturer to push for a design change but has not received a response to date.

Stories like this should be a reminder to all parents that no safety system is foolproof. It is important to stay close, be alert, and watch children in and around the pool. I encourage all parents to check out the CPSC’s pool safety website, which offers tips for preventing accidents, performing CPR and teaching kids how to swim.

Mark M. Bello is an attorney, certified civil mediator, and award-winning author of the Zachary Blake Betrayal Series. He is also the CEO of Lawsuit Financial and the country’s leading expert in providing non-recourse lawsuit funding to plaintiffs involved in pending litigation, a member of the State Bar of Michigan, a sustaining member of the Michigan Association for Justice, and a member of the American Association for Justice.