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Drowning renews calls for pool security

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July 25, 2012|By Brian Heap | KWCH 12 Eyewitness News

(WICHITA, Kan.) — The drowning of a northeast Wichita toddler renews the need for home pool owners to review their safety and security measures as the long, hot summer continues.

One-year-old Marcino Hall died Tuesday after the little boy somehow got out of the house and fell into the backyard swimming pool in the 5600 block of Coe Drive.

Family told Eyewitness News they believe Marcino may have been trying to reach for a football that had been left in the water.

Wednesday, Eyewitness News spoke with Ultra Modern Pool and Patio about simple and affordable steps owners can take to keep pool areas secure.

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Co-owner Linda Wallace said pools can be inviting places for children and it's up to parents to make sure kids are always supervised around the water.

"They will wander off and try to see what things are and they've probably been in the pool before so they think they can do it again and don't think anything of it, especially if they're not afraid of the water," Wallace said.

Wallace said pool owners can build wooden fences around the perimeter of the pool or purchase a variety of security systems that will sound an alarm when someone enters the water.

When her children were younger, Wallace always kept backdoors secure with locks that were out of a child's reach.  She also taught her kids to swim at a young age.

Wichita police said the findings of the investigation into Marcino's death will be handed over to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office to determine whether the case will be closed.

The drowning of a northeast Wichita toddler renews the need for home pool owners to review their safety and security measures as the long, hot summer continues.
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