A garden pond is beautiful, but dangerous for children. You absolutely have to retrofit here or think about the safety of the little ones when planning the pond.
The same thing happens over and over again: you turn on the television or open the newspaper and you are confronted with the terrible news - the child drowned in the garden pond! It's hard to imagine how bad that must be for family members. All these tragic accidents could have been avoided. After all, there are plenty of ways to make a garden pond childproof. This includes not only the watchful eyes of the parents. There are many more ways that can save your child's life.
These safety measures save lives
Option 1 - plan the pond correctly:
If you want to build your garden pond first, think about the safety of your children right from the planning stage. It is best to always use a pond with a gently sloping bank. If your child falls into it, it doesn't sink down straight away, but can still get up and possibly save itself. The edge should also ideally consist of natural stones. In contrast to wood and cobblestones, these are not as slippery when wet. You can find more tips on pond planning here.
Option 2 - Fence the property:
In principle, one thing should not be missing: a garden fence. After all, you also have an obligation to provide security if you don't have any children of your own. Namely when the garden can be entered by other children. A simple garden gate that is not locked is not impenetrable for children. You should therefore ensure that your property is fenced off sufficiently high and also choose a garden gate that children cannot climb through. In addition, it must always be locked.
Option 3 - fence in the garden pond:
You can also fence in the garden pond itself. This is especially recommended if you have small children yourself. After all, they also want to play in the garden. And they want to be as curious as the little ones areof course also explore the garden pond. So that you do not always have to worry about your children here and can take your eyes off them for a minute, it is best if you fence the garden pond. It sure doesn't look so pretty, but it's all about the safety of your kids.
You don't even have to make a lot of effort. A fence made of metal, plastic or wood is completely sufficient. It doesn't even need a foundation. However, it should be at least one meter high so that children cannot climb over it. If you don't think the fence is particularly pretty, just green it with climbing plants or ornamental grasses.
Option 4 - insert pond grid/net:
There are also special pond grids that can be bought directly under the water surface. If a child were to fall into the pond, it cannot sink and the danger is averted. Information on this and what the whole thing looks like can be found, for example, at www.teichgitter.de. Alternatively, you can also use rebar mesh.
There are also so-called personal protection nets for the pond on the market. These pond cover nets are strong enough to catch adults. It can spend many years above the pond without UV rays or water causing it to rot. You can find out more about these nets at schutznetze24.de.
Option 5 - Use alarm:
Anyone who only has small children to visit from time to time usually doesn't want to make a big effort, after all the children aren't there every day. For all those, it is advisable to use an alarm. This is a two-part alarm system consisting of a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter floats on the water surface while the receiver is close to you. If the transmitter detects movement on the water surface, a signal is sent to the receiver and the alarm is triggered. Such an alarm is available e.g. here.