Dad Says ‘Mermaid Tail Swimsuits Can Kill’ After Daughter Almost Drowned: ‘I Really Thought She Was Dead’

A begetter is cautioning parents against buying mermaid tail swimsuits.

Adam Lisberg of New Jersey is speaking retired astir a traumatic acquisition from 2020, erstwhile he said his then-5-year-old daughter, Annabelle, almost drowned successful a kiddie excavation while wearing nan swimwear.

The begetter said his daughters, Annabelle and Ruby, owned mermaid swimsuits pinch bottoms that mimic mermaid tails. "The girls emotion mermaids — ever have," he told Today of their fascination. 

Still, Lisberg knew that nan swimsuit style could airs immoderate risks. "We knew that pinch it blocking their feet, it’s harder to footwear aliases locomotion — and they knew that," he said. However, because nan excavation was shallow, Lisberg was little worried. "Even if they beryllium down, they tin get themselves up," nan begetter explained.

On a summertime time 5 years ago, he stepped distant from supervising his daughters while they were successful nan kiddie excavation because his boy Ben, 5 astatine nan time, had started to make guacamole. 

"Every genitor knows you person to watch each kid for illustration a hawk, and you person to beryllium observant each nan time, but I thought, 'I person 2 girls successful nan excavation keeping an oculus connected each other, correct beneath nan room pinch nan model unfastened truthful I tin perceive them,” Lisberg told Today.

“Meanwhile, I person a boy who's astir to strafe avocados each complete nan kitchen,' " he recalled. "I figured it was safe to spell up and make guacamole pinch him while looking retired nan window."

But soon aft he entered nan kitchen, Ruby, who was 7, entered nan room and told him that her sister was not moving.  

"When I sewage complete to her, her eyes were wide, she wasn’t moving, and astatine first I really thought she was dead,” he recalled. 

The begetter past performed CPR connected his girl earlier nan paramedics and constabulary arrived to return her to nan hospital. 

Lisberg explained that Ruby had taken action erstwhile Annabelle was underwater and not responsive. "She sewage her sister wholly retired of nan water. It was incredible," he said. 

Now, Lisberg is urging parents to debar purchasing mermaid swimsuits.

"I want group to cognize that these mermaid tail swimsuits tin kill," nan begetter said. "They're adorable, they're cute, kids want them, our kids had 1 for illustration that for years, and everything was fine, but I ne'er expected she'd propulsion it up complete her arms. Anyone who has a mermaid tail swimsuit ... should ne'er get adjacent water." 

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Lisberg elaborate nan mishap successful a 2020 thread connected X.

He said Ruby told him that Annabelle "pulled that mermaid tail up to her shoulders and tucked her arms inside." Later, Annabelle recalled trying to "play potato" by lying down successful nan h2o and past recovered herself incapable to free her arms to get up.

"Annabelle said she tried to talk, but nan words conscionable turned into bubbles," he wrote. "I will ne'er get that image retired of my head."

As for her recovery, Lisberg said Annabelle spent 2 days successful nan intensive attraction portion (ICU).

"Even a small h2o successful nan lungs, particularly if it has chlorine, tin spark a delayed guidance arsenic nan assemblage fights nan injury," nan begetter wrote. "She had a somesthesia and elevated beat and breathing for almost a time after. Needed oxygen to footwear it."