'She suddenly burst into tears': Dad on daughter's foot sucked into hole in BabySpa pool

The father described it as an unfortunate and disheartening incident.

During a visit to the BabySpa at HarbourFront Centre, his 14-month-old daughter's foot was accidentally sucked into a hole in the pool, turning part of her foot purplish.

The company has since offered Stomp contributor Jeremy, who is the father, compensation for what happened, which he accepted — before changing his mind.

He recounted: "In September last year, I enrolled my daughter for a year of unlimited visits to the BabySpa. Since then, we have faithfully brought her for weekly sessions. However, on July 26, our experience turned into a nightmare.

"My daughter was in the pool with her mother and our helper when she suddenly burst into tears and began crying inconsolably.

"Upon closer inspection, it was horrifyingly evident that her feet had become stuck and suctioned onto something beneath the water's surface.

"This alarming situation left everyone in a state of shock and uncertainty. Thankfully, the staff acted swiftly by deactivating the pool suction, preventing further harm.

"In the aftermath, we had to rush our daughter to the emergency room due to her feet appearing purplish. The entire process was immensely challenging, especially when trying to place a toddler in an X-ray machine for diagnosis.

"The subsequent medical results revealed a potential small crack in her toe area.

"Following the incident, I reached out to BabySpa's headquarters to report the matter and subsequently sent a formal email along with images of our daughter's injured feet. I was assured that the incident would be escalated to management for consideration."

The Stomp contributor shared the emails from BabySpa about the incident.

"Two weeks later, we received communication from the management offering a $500 BabySpa voucher and an inflatable swimming pool as compensation.

"Considering the circumstances, I suggested that a $500 shopping voucher might be more suitable, given the challenges of returning to the facility after this ordeal. In response, the management offered $200 in cash and agreed to cover the medical expenses."

The Stomp contributor posted about the incident on Facebook on Aug 31 and contacted Stomp.

The father told Stomp: "There was no follow-up response after the last phone call I had with their representative which left me no choice but to only accept the compensation of medical bills ($277.58), pro-rated membership fees ($172.50) and gesture of goodwill ($200), which is a total of $650.08."

But when he saw the terms in the acceptance letter on Sept 7, he baulked.

"Initially, I told them I would accept the compensation as I had planned to donate the money. But the terms and conditions provided were not something I can accept."

He added: "As emphasised, it isn't a monetary issue. Should they be treating my daughter like this? I feel the need to share with all parents out there."

Stomp has contacted BabySpa for more info.

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This article was first published in Stomp. Permission required for reproduction.