Kiddipedia
Every second counts: Why a heartbroken mother is relentlessly pursuing improvements to pool fence regulations
A few minutes was all the time it took for me to lose my daughter. She was four and a half years old, playing outside in the backyard while I briefly went to the kitchen to make a coffee. Somehow, she made her way through a gap in a boundary fence into a neighbour’s pool – a pool that I had hardly ever noticed. Unfortunately, the unimaginable happened to our family that day. Despite the efforts of paramedics and doctors, Ivy’s life support was turned off 11 days later.
That day taught me a devastating truth: tragedy can happen in a matter of seconds, even when you think your child is safe. Ivy’s accident was silent, sudden, and utterly preventable. Sharing her story isn’t easy, but I want other parents to understand just how quickly an ordinary day can turn into a nightmare, and why vigilance around water is non-negotiable.
The hidden risks in our backyards
We think of our homes and gardens as safe spaces for children to run around, play, and make memories. But one small gap in a fence or a gate left ajar is enough to expose children to an unimaginably deadly hazard. Boundary fences can fail, and drowning is quiet and quick. It can happen in seconds.
Statistics show this risk is far from hypothetical. In the past year, 357 people lost their lives to drowning – the highest number on record1 Among children under five, over half of drowning deaths occurred in a swimming pool1. Yet the MagnaLatch® Pool Safety Report shows a shocking level of complacency when it comes to pool safety, with over two thirds of pool owners admitting they haven’t checked their gates in six months or more. Nearly half cannot say for sure if their pool gate would pass a safety inspection and a third of families do not know when their pool last received a compliance certificate2. These numbers highlight a serious gap between perception and reality.
Turning grief into advocacy
After losing Ivy, I realised that sharing our story could help prevent future tragedies. I am petitioning the government to remove boundary fences from pool barriers and mandate four-sided, isolated fencing for all pools, regardless of when they were installed. It may not be aesthetically pleasing, but safety must come first.
Where children have open access to a pool, active supervision and remaining within arm’s reach of young children around water is the most effective way to prevent drowning. If you are uncertain about your pool’s compliance, hire a certified inspector. These steps may seem simple, but they save lives.
I am urging the Victorian government to pass Ivy’s Law and enshrine four-sided isolating fencing into law, making it illegal for boundary fencing to be used as a pool barrier. I believe it’s vital that pool safety inspections are conducted by licensed inspectors, with a $1 million fine or imprisonment used as a deterrent for those who issue compliance certificates for non-compliant pools. I am also exploring creating a foundation in Ivy’s name to provide funding to protect families at risk.
With each state setting its own rules and regulations when it comes to pool safety compliance, Australia needs a unified approach. Because Victoria’s compliance certificate is valid for four years, it meant that our neighbour’s boundary fence was deemed safe a few weeks after we moved into the property next door. Yet, a coronial investigation into Ivy’s death found the fence had become uncompliant in the 10 months that had passed.
It only takes seconds
I wish I could turn back the clock, but I cannot. I wish the systems in place had done more to protect my daughter, and I hope that in sharing my story, more families will pay attention to their pool gate hardware and take simple steps that ultimately save lives.
Families must understand that vigilance around water is not optional – it is essential. This includes regularly checking pool hardware, teaching children about water safety, and ensuring that inspections and repairs are up to date.
Preventing tragedy before it strikes
Families also have immediate steps they can take to protect children. This summer, I urge parents to take a few minutes to check gates and fences, fix any faults immediately, and have conversations about water safety with family and neighbours.
Make sure your pool gate self-closes and the latch clicks shut securely from any open position. Check for wear, rust, or misalignment in the hinges that could prevent the latch from working properly. Take notice of your neighbours’ fences and gates and if you notice anything unsafe, report it. And lastly, never prop the gate open under any circumstances. These steps may seem small, but they are truly lifesaving.
I share Ivy’s story not to cause fear, but to inspire action. Drowning can happen silently and in seconds, yet it is entirely preventable. By combining secure fencing, regular inspections, and vigilance, families can drastically reduce the risk to their children.
For guidance and a comprehensive pool safety checklist, families can visit the Check Your Pool Gate website. Taking these precautions can help make sure no other family experiences the heartbreak that Ivy’s death has left me carrying every day.
About the research and citations
- National Drowning Report 2025
- The MagnaLatch® Pool Safety Report is an annual national survey conducted by D&D Technologies to highlight pool safety behaviours and encourage action to reduce drownings. It is a survey of 1,004 respondents conducted by PureProfile for D&D Technologies during October 2025.
About the author:
Rhiannon Egan-Lee is a mother who tragically lost her 4.5-year-old daughter, Ivy, to drowning in 2024, when she unfortunately got access to a neighbour’s pool. The family had recently moved into a rental home and shared a boundary fence with the neighbouring property which has a pool. The fence was deemed compliant after an inspection earlier that year in February. However, Ivy was able to gain access to the neighbour’s pool through a paling on the boundary fence later that year in December. Ivy’s family have since been petitioning the government to change the rules around boundary fences as part of pool fence standards and legislation.
About Kids Alive
In 1988 to combat drowning, Laurie Lawrence created the Kids Alive – Do the Five water safety program. The Kids Alive community service program educates the public on five important steps to reduce the risk of preschool drowning.
About D&D Technologies
D&D Technologies is a company dedicated to the design and manufacture of quality, state-of the-art gate latches, locks and hinges. They are the trusted name in innovative gate hardware and our Australian-made products are sold worldwide. Established in the late 1980s, D&D gained international recognition with its groundbreaking MagnaLatch® magnetic child safety gate latch for swimming pool and other child safety gates, winning several prestigious design awards for our revolutionary design. Since then, D&D has expanded operations and continues to grow its product range, delivering innovative safety, privacy, and security gate hardware solutions.
