One family's tragedy made us stop and take action.

The tragedy: Radio personality Rick Burgess of the syndicated Rick & Bubba Show lost his 2-year-old son Bronner Burgess on Saturday when the toddler fell into the family swimming pool and drowned, reports The Birmingham News.

Take action: Most of us don't think of pool safety as much in the winter months, but a tragedy like this reminds us that a swimming pool presents year-round danger for young children. Three hundred kids under the age of 5 drown each year in swimming pools in the U.S. alone. Most young children who drown in pools wander out of the house and fall into the pool. Install a fence, such as the Baby Guard mesh pool fence, that's at least four feet high around all four sides of the pool. This fence should completely separate the pool from the house and play area of the yard. As an added precaution, use a pool alarm like the Safety Turtle Pool Alarm ($249). A power safety cover that meets the standards of the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), such as this mesh one from AmeriMerc, may add to the protection of your children but should not be used in place of the fence between your house and the pool. Never use a pool with its pool cover partially in place, since children may become entrapped under it. Remove the cover completely.
For more pool safety tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics, click here.