Overview

• The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada have recalled roughly 5 million pools in the U.S. and 200,000 in Canada over compression strap defects.
• External compression straps on affected pools wrap around support poles and create footholds that allow toddlers to climb in unsupervised.
• Nine toddlers aged 22 months to three years drowned after using these footholds to gain pool access in six states between 2007 and 2022.
• Affected models include 48-inch and taller above-ground pools sold since 2002 under Bestway, Coleman, Intex and Polygroup at major retailers such as Walmart, Target and Amazon.
• Owners can contact manufacturers for free repair kits to replace straps with lower-positioned safety ropes and are advised to secure or drain pools until fixes are installed.