Toddler drowns in church baptistry

[Savoring Samsara]

Happy to hear that FJers are using this terrible tragedy to make changes in their religious communities that could save lives.

As for the conspiracy theory, cult stuff - I am more inclined to apply Hanlon's Razor here (never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by incompetence).

[RosyDaisy]

My minister, elders, and deacons are discussing new safety procedures for our baptistry.

[antwan]

Yeah. And suspicious, too. No one checks on these mother loving cults and sects all over the country.

Seriously, judge much? :angry-banghead:

Pentecostal denominations do not a cult make.

[2xx1xy1JD]

The boy either got in very quietly, or he fell in, which makes a splash that no one heard. How many toddlers get in slowly instead of jumping in enthusiastically? If he fell, that would cause a splash too. When someone's silent and not splashing, they were already in the water. Getting in has sound unless you are slow about it.

It's not a loud sound. Adults with larger body weight, jumping from a height, make far more sound. Toddlers don't have very far to fall, there's a lot less body mass to splash, and ordinary conversation could hide the sound. They often don't jump in, they fall in.

Most people underestimate just how easy and common it is for accidental drowning to occur. One friend of mine lost her daughter to a backyard pool drowning, another has a toddler in a coma from a drowning. It happens quickly, and it's silent.

Good for everyone who is raising awareness with churches that this is a potential hazard.

[Mela99]

My god.... How could you not hear splashing?

Is this pool a baptist/protestant thing? I've never seen a church with something like this... do they try and drown you in the memory of Jesus? Maybe I'm too catholic to understand.

[docmom]

Children drown quickly, sometimes in very little water and they don't necessarily make much noise- as was correctly pointed out. I'm not at all surprised that no-one heard anything and there is no reason to suspect foul play. It's just a terrible accident. Water and toddlers- unless fully supervised- don't mix.

[maple802]

Pools tend to be a Baptist/Pentecostal/Evangelical Protestant thing. While baptism by immersion isn't all that common in the Roman Catholic churches that I am familiar with (Northeastern) it is permitted and there are some churches in the South and West that have pools or larger, heated fonts for this purpose. In my experience, however, the majority of Roman Catholic baptisms still occur by pouring, rather than immersion.

[2xx1xy1JD]

My god.... How could you not hear splashing?

Is this pool a baptist/protestant thing? I've never seen a church with something like this... do they try and drown you in the memory of Jesus? Maybe I'm too catholic to understand.

Tots will splash if they are playing in a pool while sitting upright.

They do not splash if their heads are under water and they can't get up. Once again, drowning is silent.

I was a lifeguard and swim instructor, and saw preschoolers accidentally go under water. There was absolutely no sound. We had close supervision so no child was under for more than a few seconds, but it happens quickly and quietly.

[ADoyle90815]

Children drown quickly, sometimes in very little water and they don't necessarily make much noise- as was correctly pointed out. I'm not at all surprised that no-one heard anything and there is no reason to suspect foul play. It's just a terrible accident. Water and toddlers- unless fully supervised- don't mix.

That's true, which is why if you buy a bucket these days, there's even a warning label on the side about not leaving toddlers around it unsupervised. In theory, a toddler can drown in a Catholic baptismal font if it's a permanent fixture in the church, and left filled. That's more likely to be found in newer churches built within the last 40 years as the older fonts are more designed for pouring and not immersion. Even with the newer fonts, most Catholic baptisms are still done by pouring instead of immersion. Immersion is more of a Protestant thing especially among the more conservative sects.

[RosyDaisy]

Many churches that practice baptism by immersion do have a baptismal pools. My church has one. It's maintained like a regular pool (only a lot smaller) and has a filtration system.

Pentecostals are not a cult, and their beliefs range anywhere from super fundie to fundie-lite. The ones I am most familiar with allow women to work, but they wear skirts only, no makeup or jewelry. Most don't homeschool. Their kids go to public school and college. They usually don't have a tv, but tht has changed in recent years since the advent of parental controls, and streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Some have computers for educational purposes. But there are no hard rules on these things. It can vary from church to church.

Anyway, as the linked articles have stated, there was a group of missionaries in the church preparing for a trip and rehearsing skits. So, perhaps with all the noise going on, and the fact that teenage sister turned her back for just a second, the baby probably got into the baptismal pool unnoticed and unheard. It was a cascade of events that caused this tragic accident. Having said that, all churches should secure their baptismal pools and areas except when someone is being baptized.

[Firiel]

Hasn't it occurred to anyone that this is some sort of a freaking cult and this was no accident at all? There's nothing new about cults practicing rituals like this, these kind of rituals reach back all the way to the dawning of "humanity". I know it sounds extreme but nothing about this sounds like an accident.

OMG! Yeah, a kid drowned in the church-- a cult sacrifice is clearly the most obvious explanation!

And did you know that in Arizona, the leading cause of death for kids aged 1-4 is drowning? When are cops going to start investigating the ritual child sacrifices performed by the terrifying Homeowner's Association cult that has exploded down there? :roll:

Source: http://www.preventdrownings.org/go/docs ... 9_2005.pdf