Toddler's hotpool drowning an accident

Lifeguards were unable to revive Nylah Faamanu Vau. Photo / Supplied

The tragic drowning of a 2-year-old girl at Waiwera Thermal Hot Pools in February highlights the importance of parents actively supervising young children at swimming pools, a coroner says.

In a report in to the death of Nylah Masae Fa'amanu Vau, Coroner Peter Ryan found the toddler's drowning at the swimming complex north of Auckland was accidental.

However a "causative factor in this death was the lack of active supervision of Nylah''.

Nylah drowned after she wandered away from the kiddie pool where she was playing with other young children and fell into the tower pool.

Her father, Fa'amanu Vau, told police he left his wife supervising the children while he unloaded the car.

However as he did this, his wife told him she needed to go and breastfeed another child, leaving the children without active supervision.

On his fourth trip back from the car, Mr Vau was told by his sister that Nylah was no longer with the other children playing in the kiddie pool.

Another visitor to the thermal resort told a lifeguard that something was at the bottom of a pool.

The lifeguard dived into the pool after realising it was a child.

CPR was administered, but Nylah could not be resuscitated.

"This death highlights again the need for parents to actively and closely supervise young children at swimming pools, even if the pool complex provides lifeguards,'' Mr Ryan found.

"If there is a handover from one parent to the other of responsibility for such supervision, then it is imperative that each parent clearly understands who has that responsibility at any given time.

"Parents cannot and should not rely upon staff at a commercial pool complex to supervise their young children, as this is not usually the staff's responsibility.''

Waiwera general manager Dixon McIver said their thoughts were with Nylah's family and her tragic drowning highlighted the issue of safety around pools.

"Our hearts go out to the family for their tragic loss. Things like this make everybody aware at the end of the day,'' he said.