As the state heads towards 36 degrees today, Kidsafe Victoria has released a statewide RED ALERT to parents over the high level of drowning risk to toddlers in homes storing water in buckets or wheelie bins.

The warning comes following a near drowning of a four year old boy who fell head first into a wheelie bin in the suburb of Fawkner, north of Melbourne.

The boy was turning purple when he was found face down in the wheelie bin just after 1pm. The bin had enough water in it to submerge the boy's head. 

Dr Mark Stokes, President of Kidsafe Victoria said; ”With governments and water authorities all over Victoria urging the community to conserve water, parents need to be alert to the drowning dangers of storing water”.

“There are millions of buckets of water being stored in homes every day in Victoria. Each bucket represents a potential drowning or near drowning situation, the latter which can leave children with severe brain damage”.

“Many parents are unaware of the risks, with their main focus being on saving water.”

Dr Stokes said that with the ongoing water restrictions in Melbourne, people are finding all sorts of ways to store and move water.

“Children are top heavy; if they climb and fall into a wheelie bin, the depth and shape of the bin would make it almost impossible for a child to get out.” “Water restrictions have made over sized buckets such as nappy buckets popular. Without being stored out of reach with a lid securely closed, these buckets are a major risk.”

Kidsafe Victoria is urging parents across Victoria to immediately assess how they are storing water, and to remove drowning hazards such as buckets of water.

“Isolate the buckets of water from your children or empty buckets immediately to protect children…this is our clear and simple life saving message. Parents should also carry out a check to see if any buckets of water are stored in any homes they visit,” Dr Stokes said.