Recently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission along with eight manufacturers recalled approximately one million pool and hot tub drain covers. These drain covers may cause entrapment and drowning.

The following companies have drain covers involved in this recall: A&A, AquaStar, Color Match, Custom Molded Products, Hayward Pool Products, Pentair Water Pool and Spa, Rising Dragon, and Waterway.

Inez Tannenbaum from the CPSC said, “The recalled covers are marked with the wrong flow rating. But pool operators and home owners should contact the maker of the drain cover to see what action if any is needed to make their pool or spa safe.”

Pool drains have 500 pounds of vacuum force. That vacuum effect is powerful enough to hold swimmers, especially children, on the bottom of the pool. The consumer product safety commissioner said drain entrapment caused dozens of deaths between 1999 and last year.

Consumers with questions should call the Drain Cover Recall Hotline at (866) 478-3521.

Primary Sources:

http://www.abc4.com/content/news/links_numbers/story/Risk-of-drowning-prompts-massive-drain-cover/wl-y_CrPbk-B3An11tWlmw.cspx

http://www.apsp.org/Public/Safety/DrainCoverRecall/index.cfm?parentObject=&SAVersion=401&ndrx=99

The following is a description of a personal injury case we have filed. This is a case involving a personal injury on the Carnival Pride, a ship owned by Carnival Corporation.

Carnival Corporation, owns and operates the cruise ship, Carnival Pride. Carnival Corporation through its employees on the Carnival Pride failed to maintain its floor and allowed a large area of water to remain on a slick, slippery multicolored floor surface on the Lido Deck of the Carnival Pride, near the pool. The puddle caused the surface onto which it flowed to be slick, slippery, and extremely dangerous. Carnival knew or should have known that that particular floor is prone to having water spills because of its location adjacent to the pool. Further, Carnival should have cleaned up and dried up the large area of water on the slick, slippery multicolored surface where passengers are allowed to walk. As a result of Carnival’s negligence, our client on that day and time of the accident walked into the area and he slipped and fell, causing serious, debilitating, and permanent injuries. Our client in this case fractured his leg and severely injured his right ankle, which will require and implantation of hardware. Our client may be required to undergo additional surgery in the future.

Yesterday, the MSC Opera broke down due to an electrical failure and floated adrift in the Baltic Sea. The MSC Opera, a cruise ship owned by MSC Cruises, was carrying approximately 2,000 passengers and crew.

Cruise line personnel said that the cruise ship would be towed to the port of Nynashamn where it would organize the repatriation of the passengers.

One passenger on the cruise ship, Julia Hunter, described the atmosphere on the boat.

“The conditions yesterday were dreadful – we had no power, so there was no lighting, heating or hot food or drinks. Worst of all, with no running water, we had no access to toilets all day,” she said.

“The power has come back on now, so the situation is better. We’ve packed our bags and we can see land now.”

“The atmosphere is very subdued, though. Yesterday everyone was very angry but we are all calmer now.”

The MSC Opera is the third cruise ship in less than 6 months to have problems at sea and float adrift. The Carnival Splendor broke down in November 2010 and the Ocean Star Pacific had similar problems in April 2011.

Primary Sources: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13407581

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/cruiseliner-adrift-after-breakdown/story-fn6s850w-1226056466844

A Carnival Sensation passenger was killed on Friday, May 6, 2011 after being involved in a jet ski accident in the Bahamas. Another individual involved in the accident was seriously injured and is still in the hospital. The two individuals rented the jet skis while the ship was docked at a port of call in Nassau.

The identities of the individuals have not been released.

It is yet to be determined what caused this accident

Primary Sources: http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20110509/BREAKINGNEWS/110508015/Passenger-aboard-Port-Canveral-based-Carnival-ship-dies-Bahamas

http://www.cruisecompare.co.uk/cruise-news/2011/05/3142/Carnival-Sensation-cruise-ship-passenger-killed-in-jet-ski-accident/

About 500,000 wooden Dorel Asia bunk beds have been recalled due to the risk of breaking. Thus far, from the 445,000 beds sold in the United States, there have been 23 reports of the bunk beds breaking and seven reports of injuries from those incidents. Two models of the bunks beds sold at Wal-Mart, Target, and Kmart stores have been included in the recall: WM1848R2 and WM848R2C. Consumers can find the model number of their bed printed on labels on the side rails.

Owners of the recalled models are being asked to contact Dorel Asia to receive a free repair kit. Until the repairs are made, owners are advised to take apart the bunk beds and use them as separate twin beds.

Primary Sources: http://www.canada.com/business/Bunk+beds+recalled+over+risk+collapse/4733200/story.html#ixzz1La4zko94

http://www.frenchtribune.com/teneur/114994-recall-issued-500000-collapsing-bunk-beds

The truth about what happened to the 65-year-old woman missing from the Celebrity Milliennium has been discovered – she jumped.

The announcement Wednesday came after Celebrity Cruises said a closed-circuit video aboard the Celebrity Milliennium shows the 63-year-old woman climbing over a railing Monday night and letting go.

The woman was reported missing on Tuesday, May 3, 2011 when she was not present for a US Customs Inspection after the ship returned to San Diego from Cabo San Lucas.

The Coast Guard, who searched for approximately 25 hours over 1,900 miles, have stopped their search.

Primary Sources: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/04/national/main20059833.shtml

Yesterday, a 65 year old woman was reported missing from the Celebrity Millennium. The woman, whose identity will remain unknown until further into the investigation, was last seen on the cruise ship around 10:00 pm on Monday, May 2, 2011. It was the following day during a U.S. Customs inspection after the ship returned from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico when the woman was initially reported missing.

Since being notified of the disappearance, the Coast Guard has been searching 175 miles of ocean between San Diego and Mexico. The family of the missing woman has been notified of her disappearance along with the FBI.

Primary Sources: http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/may/03/search-for-missing-cruise-ship-passenger/