Vos Iz Neias ?

By: Sandy Eller

Sunday, July 22, 2018

Lakewood, NJ – A three year old Jackson girl who was pulled from the bottom of her family’s backyard pool in late June passed away yesterday, prompting calls for greater safety measures to be taken to prevent future tragedies.

Sources who spoke to VIN News on condition of anonymity said that Mindel Rivka Gross was at the pool with family members when she slipped into the water unnoticed.  She was pulled from the water approximately three minutes later, with a neighbor beginning CPR until Hatzolah arrived on scene.  The little girl was rushed to an area hospital where she clung to life for three and a half weeks before succumbing to her injuries.

The funeral will be held today at 2:30 at the Vizhnitz synagogue in Monsey on Phyllis Terrace followed by burial at the Vizhnitz cemetery on Route 306 and Brick Church Road.

The incident was a somber reminder of the importance of pool safety, with several CPR classes held in the surrounding area as members of the Jewish community worldwide prayed for the little girl’s recovery.  Noting that in situations of this nature, delays that are even seconds-long can mean the difference between life and death, Hatzolah members called for greater vigilance at home swimming pools including:

  •   Hiring a lifeguard at home pools, even if all family members know how to swim.
  •   Never swimming alone.
  •   Posting signs at home pools listing emergency numbers such as Hatzolah or 911 and location of the pool including address, nearest cross streets and name of neighborhood to ensure that first responders can get to the scene quickly.
  •   Calling for help from a land line and not a cell phone, whenever possible, which automatically provides dispatchers with the caller’s location and other crucial details.
  •   Installing a dedicated poolside phone line that goes directly to Hatzolah, wherever possible, to prevent losing time looking for phones that can either be misplaced or are inadvertently left inside the house.

A Hatzolah member also emphasized the importance of becoming certified in CPR, a minimal investment of time that can save lives, both when someone is choking or in the case of pool accidents.

“You don’t need any equipment,” said the Hatzolah member.  “All you need is your two hands.  Every rebbi and every morah in every school needs to know CPR, which should also be taught in all of our high schools.  It is the most important thing you can ever do because every second can really make a difference.”