Key Takeaways
- A four-year-old girl, Ivy Bella Roze, drowned in her neighbor’s pool after crawling through a gap in a faulty boundary fence.
- The coroner’s investigation found that the pool owner was responsible for maintaining the safety barrier, and the faulty fence was a "dangerous access point" for Ivy.
- The incident has sparked a campaign for stricter pool safety laws in Victoria, with a petition calling for mandatory four-sided isolation fencing around all private pools.
- The current legislation allows for boundary fences to be used as part of pool barriers, but advocates argue that this is unsafe and can lead to child drownings.
- The incident has had a devastating impact on Ivy’s family, with her mother, Rhiannon Egan-Lee, describing it as "extremely traumatic" and saying that her life has changed forever.
Introduction to the Tragedy
The holiday season is a time of joy and celebration for many families, but for Rhiannon Egan-Lee and her family, it will always be marked by tragedy. On December 17, 2024, her four-year-old daughter, Ivy Bella Roze, managed to crawl through a gap in a faulty boundary fence and jump into the neighbor’s pool, where she drowned. Despite efforts to save her, Ivy suffered severe brain damage and died 11 days later. The incident has had a profound impact on Ivy’s family, with her mother describing it as "extremely traumatic" and saying that her life has changed forever.
The Coronal Investigation
A coronial investigation into Ivy’s death revealed that the boundary fence was faulty and had been identified as non-compliant by a registered building inspector in February 2024. However, the pool owner was issued a certificate of barrier compliance, which allowed them to use the fence as part of the pool safety barrier. The coroner found that the pool owner was responsible for maintaining the safety barrier and that the faulty fence was a "dangerous access point" for Ivy. The coroner also noted that the Victorian Building Authority provides guidance on the importance of maintaining safety barriers, and that pool owners have a responsibility to ensure that their safety barriers are properly maintained.
The Campaign for Stricter Pool Safety Laws
The incident has sparked a growing campaign for stricter pool safety laws in Victoria. Rhiannon Egan-Lee has started a petition calling for mandatory four-sided isolation fencing around all private pools and a ban on using boundary fences as part of pool barriers. The petition has received over 1,000 signatures, and advocates argue that the current legislation is unsafe and can lead to child drownings. Data from Life Saving Victoria shows that between 2000 and 2024, there were 94 home pool and spa drownings in Victoria, with nearly a third involving children aged under 14. The general manager of Life Saving Victoria, Andy Dennis, said that four-sided isolation barriers are the most effective measure to prevent child drownings.
The Impact on Ivy’s Family
The incident has had a devastating impact on Ivy’s family, with her mother describing it as "extremely traumatic" and saying that her life has changed forever. Rhiannon Egan-Lee said that her daughter Ivy was a "little superhero" who loved everything spooky and was always dressed as Emma Wiggle. She described Ivy as "love and kindness in a little yellow bow" and said that her death has left a huge gap in their lives. Ivy’s family is still trying to come to terms with their loss, and Rhiannon Egan-Lee hopes that her advocacy will transform grief into action and prevent other families from suffering the same tragedy.
The Need for Stricter Pool Safety Measures
The incident highlights the need for stricter pool safety measures in Victoria. The current legislation allows for boundary fences to be used as part of pool barriers, but advocates argue that this is unsafe and can lead to child drownings. Rhiannon Egan-Lee hopes that her petition will lead to changes in the legislation and that mandatory four-sided isolation fencing will become the standard for all private pools. She believes that this will prevent other children from suffering the same fate as Ivy and will give families peace of mind when it comes to pool safety. The incident is a tragic reminder of the importance of pool safety and the need for families to be vigilant when it comes to protecting their children.