Bestway, Intex, and Polygroup-branded 48-inch and taller above-ground pools with external compression straps are being recalled, according to a July 21 notice from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).
“Nine children between the ages of 22 months and 3 years old have drowned after gaining access to the pools via the footholds,” the notice said.
The incidents occurred in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Missouri between 2007 and 2022. Besides the nine, the agency said it was aware of three other incidents in 2011 and 2012 involving children.
Around five million pools have been sold since 2002. When the compression strap, which surrounds the outside of the pool, goes over the vertical pool legs, it creates a foothold that allows children to climb and access the pool, posing a drowning risk….