Following the report of nine drowning deaths over 15 years, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a recall of over five million pools today, July 21, 2025.
According to the CPSC, a design flaw in aboveground pools sold for years in the United States enables toddlers and small children to gain a foothold and climb in. In its statement, the CPSC said it believes, “nine children between the ages of 22 months and 3 years old have drowned after gaining access to the pools via the footholds. The incidents occurred in California, Texas, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin and Missouri between 2007 and 2022.
CPSC is also aware of three other incidents in 2011 and 2012 where children who gained access to the recalled pools were reported to have previously used the compression strap to gain entry to the pool.
The compression strap was originally designed to help maintain the structural integrity of the pools (keep them from bulging out due to horizontal stress from the weight of the water) but instead, offers a way for kids to climb in, and therefore, poses a serious drowning risk.
The recall includes aboveground swimming pools from companies Bestway, Intex and Polygroup, which have been sold by major retailers across the United States since 2002.
Bestway, Intex and Polygroup emphasized their “shared commitment to customer safety,” in a statement to ABC News.
“While most aboveground pools 48 inches or taller in height currently being sold today have already addressed this concern, to ensure that these changes can be applied to all aboveground pools sold since 2002 that are 48 inches or taller in height, we are jointly announcing a voluntary recall in conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada,” the three companies say. “The safe use of our products is important to us, and we are working together to get the word out about this recall and create a seamless process for our customers to participate.”
The three companies have advised customers with the recalled pools to ensure that children cannot access the pool unattended, or drain the pool until repairs can be made.
Free repair kits are available through contacting Bestway, Intex and Polygroup. The kit includes a rope that will attach to each of the vertical support posts at ground level and wrap around the pool, which will maintain the support needed but is designed to reduce the drowning risk of the compression straps.
A list of the recalled pools can be found on the CPSC website, or visit Bestway’s website and Intex’s website.
